5 Romantic Ideas for Valentine's Day near the Villages of Citrus Hills

The most romantic day of the year is right around the corner, and if you don’t already have something planned for your significant other, you are already behind the eight ball. But don’t worry, because we have got you covered with some of the best local and not-so-local options for a romantic dinner out on the town.

Vintage on 5th, Crystal River

If you are looking to stay local and have a romantic meal, Vintage on 5th in Crystal River is going to be one of the top options on your list. This former church building has been completely renovated into a warm and inviting restaurant. And on top of the wonderful ambiance, you will also find some truly fantastic meals here.

The main focus of the menu is fresh fish and hand-cut beef, so you are going to have plenty of choices from both land and sea. There is also a delicious list of side dishes like fried green tomatoes. And in the event, that you don’t want to go all out with a formal meal, you could also opt to hang at the wine bar and order from their awesome tapas menu.

Katch Twenty Two, Lecanto

Another great new restaurant that is also close to home is Katch Twenty Two, located in Lecanto. Chef Richard Wiggins has only been operating here since 2016, but he brings with him a lifetime of experience making some of the most delicious cuisine.

Seafood is the name of the game at Katch Twenty Two, and Chef Richard puts his own unique twists on a wide range of a constantly evolving menu. No matter what you order here, you are sure to get a flavor experience that you will not soon forget.

Motor City Pasta Company, Inverness

For some couples, the only requirements for a romantic Valentine’s Day celebration is a large margherita pizza, a bottle of wine, and a great movie. If that sounds like you, then you probably already have a few bottles of wine and a Netflix subscription, so all that’s missing is a great pizza.

Located right up the road in Inverness, Motor City Pasta Company is one of the best spots for pizza in all of Citrus County, and it is close enough to the Villages of Citrus Hills that you can pick up your pie and make it home before it cools off.

La Cuisine French Restaurant, Ocala

Part of the romantic experience of a fabulous dinner date is the conversations that you will have with your partner on the way to and from the restaurant. If you would like to allow plenty of time for those conversations to percolate, a venture out to Ocala is the perfect choice, and La Cuisine French Restaurant is one of the best restaurants in town.

If you are craving a classic French dish like Duck à l'orange, you can definitely find that on Chef Patrice Perron’s menu. But there is also Hand Cut Beef Filet and Breaded Grouper on the menu.

Cuvee 103, Clearwater

Nothing says romance quite like an overnight trip to a coastal town, and if you are planning a trip like that, Cuvee 103 in Clearwater is the perfect place to make dinner reservations for that special evening.

They are running a great three course prix fix menu for Valentine’s Day that is sure to delight your taste buds, ranging from duck breast and Chilean sea bass to surf ’n turf and lobster-stuffed beef tenderloin.

Whether you are looking for something close to home or an overnight trip complete with a romantic dinner, there are more than a few fantastic choices surrounding the Villages of Citrus Hills.

In addition to all of the great restaurants surrounding our community, keep in mind that both Skyview Restaurant and The Grille are also planning fabulous menus for your Valentine’s Day celebration.

February Activities and Events at the Villages of Citrus Hills

Just like that, the first month of 2017 is already in the books and we are rolling into February. As usual, the activities and events calendar is filled with all kinds of exciting things that are happening around our community this month. 

Whether you are interested in getting together with friends, learning something new, competing at golf or tennis, or taking advantage of one of our excellent dinner specials, we have got you covered with all of the information you need to plan out the coming month so that you don’t miss out on any of the fun! 

Social Events 

The Big Show Series is taking the leadoff spot this month with their next big performance scheduled for Thursday, February 2 when Beginnings: The Ultimate Chicago Tribute Band will be taking the stage in the Activity Center Auditorium. Tickets for this event are $33 for members and $38 for guests, and there will be show times at 6 pm and 8:15 pm.

This year’s Super Bowl will take place on Sunday, February 5, and everyone is invited to the party at the Tiki Bar to watch the Atlanta Falcons take on the New England Patriots. The Tiki Bar will have food and drink specials ready to go for the big game, but seating is first-come, first serve, so make sure that you get there early! 

The Little Black Dress Club will be sponsoring a Valentine’s Day Fashion Show in the Hampton Room on Monday, February 13. The event starts at 11 am, and there will be a lunch served while fashions from the Inverness store Karma are modeled.

The Big Bang Team were the winners of last month’s Trivia Challenge, and the next one is scheduled for Tuesday, February 21. This month, the menu will include Sausage & Peppers and Baked Haddock.

For the second installment of the Big Show Series in February, the Activity Center Auditorium will roll out the red carpet for Freddy “Boom Boom” Cannon and Gary “US” Bonds. Tickets for this event are $44 for members and $49 for guests, and that also included an opening performance by Rocky and the Rollers.

Speaking of Rocky and the Rollers, they will also be performing for the 50’s Sock Hop in the Hampton Room on Tuesday, February 28. The doors open at 6:30 pm for this party, and there will be music and dancing from 7 pm to 10 pm.  

Arts & Education 

Throughout the month of February, Dr. Joe Coffee will be continuing his Great Decisions lecture series that provides a forum for the discussion of world affairs. This event is held in the Activity Center Auditorium every Wednesday night from 6:30 pm to 8 pm.  

If you are looking to get involved with one of the many clubs here at the Villages of Citrus Hills, there will be an Activities Club Showcase on Wednesday, February 15 in the Hampton Room. Representatives from many of the various clubs will be on hand to answer any questions you might have.  

For those people who absolutely adore their pets, you are also going to want to mark down the first Saturday in March on your calendar. There will be a group of residents heading out to the Paint Your Pet event at the Crystal River Mall on that morning at 10 am.  

Golf & Tennis

If golf is your game, there is plenty of action heading your way in the month of February. The action will kick off with the Valentine’s Open on The Oaks course on Saturday, February 4.

Then the intensity will really start to heat up with the Skyview Men’s Senior, Super Senior, Legends, and Super Legends Tournament on February 6 and 7, the Citrus Hills Men’s Club Championship on February 16 and 17, and the Skyview Men’s Member-Guest Tournament on February 24 and 25.

If your game isn’t quite ready for that level of competition, you should make a point to attend on of the many free golf clinics that golf pro Wayne Larsen will be hosting throughout the month. There will be clinics for beginners on February 6, 7, and 8. Then the intermediate level clinics will be held on February 14, 21, and 28. 

If tennis is your game, you can hone your skills at the Free Beginner Tennis Clinic on February 14 at 11 am. After a few weeks of practice, you might even be ready to compete in one of the exciting tennis tournaments that are planned for March and April. 

Dinner Specials

Our friends at Skyview Restaurant will be pulling out all of the stops to serve a fabulous Valentine’s Day Dinner on Tuesday, February 14. Then they will close out the month on February 28 with a Catch of the Seas dinner that will feature a wide range of great seafood options.  

If you are heading to see the Big Show Series on Thursday, February 2, make sure you stop at The Grille first for their Big Show Buffet. They will also be having a Sweetheart Valentine’s Dinner on February 14, and a Taste of New England dinner on February 28.  

BellaVita Spa 

BellaVita Spa is also going above and beyond for the month of February. So, if you are able to find any time for yourself this month, you are surely going to want to take advantage of the Wild Rose Facial and Shellac Spa Manicure specials that they will be running all month long.

If you have any questions about any of the events happening throughout the month, don’t hesitate to contact someone at the Activity Center Service Desk. They will either be able to help you directly or put you in touch with someone who can! 

For all the activities and events happening around the Villages of Citrus Hills click below into the link below for our Connections Club Newsletter for February 2017. 

http://www.citrushillsgolfandcountryclub.com/userfiles/file/February%202017%20Connections_ONLINE.pdf

January Activities and Events at the Villages of Citrus Hills

Out with the old and in with the new as we have officially made our way into 2017! The new year is sure to be nothing but excitement over the course of the next 12 months, and our friends over at the Activity Center are doing everything in their power to make sure that you start out the year with a bang in January! 

With two different performances from the Big Show Series, multiple other social events and speakers, golf tournaments and clinics, and lots of great dinner specials, there is almost no end of all the activities you can participate in around the Villages of Citrus Hills this month. Let’s take a quick look at some of them. 

Social Events 

After we ring in the new year, we are going to get it started on the right foot with a performance from the legendary Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone in the Activity Center Auditorium on Thursday, January 5. Tickets for this show are going to be $44 for members and $49 for guests, and show times are set for 6 pm and 8:15 pm.  

Trivia experts will be getting together in the Hampton Room on Tuesday, January 17 for another edition of the Trivia Challenge Dinner & Game Show. Dinner this month will include Chicken Piccata and Sliced London Broil with Mushroom Sauce.  

The biggest party of the month will be the Classic Rock Dance Party happening on Tuesday, January 24 in the Hampton Room. Saratoga the Band will be rocking out all of your favorite classic rock tunes with doors opening at 6:30 pm and the music starting around 7 pm.

There will be a second performance from the Big Show Series when Paul Revere’s Raiders come to the Activity Show Auditorium on Thursday, January 26. Tickets for this show are $39 for members and $44 for guests, and they can be purchased at the Activity Center.  

Arts & Education 

Boules Wahba from Dynamic Computer Solutions will be at the Activity Center on Friday, January 13 to host another installment of Tech 101 from 10:30 and to 12:30 pm. This month, the topics will include many of the most common activities you will find yourself doing in some of the latest editions of Microsoft Windows.

There will also be another edition of the Speaker Series on Friday, January 13 with Richard K. Hurley discussing “How to Successfully Deal with the VA.” This event will take place in the Garden Room from 12 pm to 3 pm.  

A second Speaker Series event will be taking place with representatives from Michaels Floor Covering in the Activity Center Auditorium on Friday, January 27 at 4 pm. They will be discussing just about everything you ever wanted to know about different flooring options for your home.  

Golf & Tennis 

The first big golf event of 2017 will be the New Year’s Cross Country Open on Wednesday, January 7 starting at 8:30 am. If you’ve never played a cross country event before, this is a great opportunity to try out a really exciting and unique format.

The other big tournament in January will be the Men’s Ringer Tournament Major Event at Skyview on Friday, January 9 and Saturday, January 10. This will be a partner event where each team plays the best ball on each hole.  

If you are looking to improve your game in 2017, you can start by attending the Cleveland Golf Scoring Clinic on Monday, January 9 from 2 pm to 4 pm. The class is $149 per person, and everyone who attends will receive an RTX-3 Wedge.

There will also be opportunities to improve your skills at our regular Free Golf Clinics with Golf Pro Wayne Larsen. This month, the beginner clinics will take place on January 2, 3, and 4 while the intermediate clinics are scheduled for January 10, 17, and 24.  

Over at the Skyview Tennis Center, there will be a Free Beginner Tennis Clinic on Tuesday, January 10 at 11 am.

Dinner Specials 

One of the best ways to ring in the new year will be with the Taste of France dinner special on Tuesday, January 10 at The Grille. Diners will have their choice of entrees like Rosemary Lamb Chops, Veal Saltimbocca, and Cognac Shrimp. There will also be a special Carmel Flan dessert on the menu.

Out at the Tiki Bar, there is going to be a Winter Wonderland Buffet on Thursday, January 12. This buffet will include two different kinds of soup, as well as Beef Stroganoff and Green Bean Casserole. There will also be Warm Apple Crisp, Hot Chocolate, and a Coffee Bar. 

Over at Skyview Restaurant, you won’t want to miss their Season Celebration Buffet that is scheduled for Tuesday, January 17. This delicious meal will include all kinds of high-end hors d’oeuvres, as well as a salad bar, carving station, and pasta station.

Then on Tuesday, January 31, Skyview Restaurant will be hosting a four course Italian Wine Dinner where each of the delicious Italian foods is paired with a complementary wine that is straight from Italy. Tickets for this dinner are $65 per person and it will also include entertainment by Italian singer Humberto Zambrano.

In the event that you happen to find some time to pamper yourself in the first month of the new year, Bella Vita Spa is offering specials.  They will be doing Vitamin A Micro Peel Facials and a Vanilla Wild Plum Ultimate Spa Pedicure throughout the entire month, so make sure to put that on your to-do list as well and have a great month!

This is just a taste of what is happening in the month of January.  For a complete overview please visit our website and click on the Connections page.

10 Food Ideas That Will Make Your Home a Hit This Holiday Season

The holiday hosting season has officially arrived, and whether you are hosting your friends, family, or coworkers, everyone wants their holiday party to have that one amazing food item that everyone is still talking about at the next party.  

Luckily, thanks to all of our amazing friends, we don’t have any shortage of great ideas when it comes to foods that are perfect for those holiday parties. 

We’ve broken it down into the four holiday food groups: appetizers, entrees, desserts, and cocktails! 

Appetizers 

Our first appetizer is a modern take on the classic meatball appetizer. You used to be able to blow your guests away with a traditional Swedish Meatball, but it takes a little more than that these days, and this Crock-Pot Cranberry Orange Meatball recipe has exactly what it takes.

Chips and dip are another staple of any holiday party, but this Holiday Wreath Taco Ring takes that basic concept to a whole new level. Scrap the chips altogether and start dipping these little slices of stuffed taco bread into homemade guacamole and your guests are sure to be impressed.

A perfect fit for any holiday party is a tray of bacon wrapped chestnuts. There’s a song dedicated to chestnuts roasting on an open fire, but they must have just been out of bacon, because this is the way your guests really want chestnuts prepared!

Entrees

Moving on to the main course, cranberries are one of the most festive holiday ingredients that you can include with any dish, and this version of balsamic roasted chicken mixes them with some fresh thyme for an absolutely amazing flavor combination.

Another tried and true holiday entree is a classic prime rib. Try a version with lots of garlic and rosemary, and then balance it out with a delicious horseradish cream sauce.

Desserts 

They say that presentation is 90% of taste, and if that is true then this amazing Gingerbread Trifle will surely impress everyone when it comes time for dessert. With layers of different berries stacked between layers of ginger bread and homemade whipped cream, this stunning dessert is almost too pretty to eat!

Another adorable dessert idea that is really easy to pull off are these little strawberry and whipped cream Santas. They might not be enough of a dessert on their own, but they are the perfect complement to any other desserts you might have planned.

Speaking of complementing your desserts, nothing does that job quite like a gourmet hot cocoa bar. Just set out a few bowls of accessories that your guests can add to their hot cocoa and they will surely still be talking about it at the next party!

Cocktails 

Having your own featured cocktail is another great way to set your holiday party apart from all the other ones this season. One of the simplest options is to dress up a classic vodka and cranberry with a bit of club soda and then some fresh cranberries and rosemary. All of a sudden, that simple drink looks instead like something out of a magazine.

If you prefer to make your cocktails in large batches, this Sparkling Cranberry Vodka Punch is another way to dress up the classic vodka and cranberry juice. This time, we’re adding some ginger ale and lemonade to make it into a punch and then garnishing with lemons, cranberries, and fresh mint leaves.

The most important ingredient for any holiday party is always going to be having the right people there, but once you have that in place, the next step is to impress them with something amazing. This list of ten unique food items should have you well on your way as far as that is concerned.  

Happy holidays!

5 Vacationers Club Trips You Won't Want to Miss

There is nothing like a good vacation to help you recharge your batteries and relax your mind. And whether you are looking for a short day trip or a long cruise, the Citrus Hills Vacationer’s Club is always working on something exciting that will fit your needs. They are currently planning five amazing trips for this spring that you definitely won’t want to miss! 

Valentine’s Cruise 

Looking for a special trip to take with your significant other this Valentine’s Day season? Well, the Vacationers Club has got you covered with a five-night cruise through the Western Caribbean. Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas will depart from Tampa on Saturday, February 11 and then head for stops in Key West and Cozumel.

This amazing adventure will give you the opportunity to get away for the most romantic week of the year, and what could be more romantic than spending a day in Key West followed by a day in Mexico! 

Ringling Museum Day Trip 

Also, taking place on Saturday, February 11 will be the Vacationer’s Club day trip to Sarasota to visit The Ringling Circus Museum. This is the ultimate experience for anyone who grew up as a fan of the amazing Ringling Brothers circus.

If you have never been to the museum before, it is one of the most amazing tributes to the circus that you will find anywhere. The large estate houses an art museum, circus museum, the famous Ringling Mansion, and the historic Asolo Theater.  

Wicked Day Trip 

Another day trip this February is the trip to the Straz Performing Arts Center in Tampa on Saturday, February 25 for a performance of Wicked. As one of the most popular and captivating musicals in recent years, Wicked is an amazing experience that you simply don’t want to miss.

Tickets for this trip are $155 per person, which includes a ticket to the show and round-trip transportation. There will also be a brief stop for lunch before the 2 pm show.

Three Days in Savannah 

As much as we love heading south and cruising around the Caribbean, it’s hard to ignore the amazing places like Savannah, Georgia that are just north of us. The Vacationer’s Club is planning a three day, two-night excursion to this beautiful and historic city from March 21 to March 23.

Tickets for this trip are $689 per person, and that includes two nights at the Staybridge Inn and Suites. Also included are two dinners, three breakfast meals, a trolley tour of Savannah’s Historic District, an evening show at the Savannah Theater, a tour of Tybee Island, a tour of the Mighty 8th Air Force Museum, and an optional tour of Bonaventure Cemetery.  

All-Inclusive Cruise to Cuba 

If a visit to Cuba has long been on your bucket list, March 24 is the date that you want to mark on your calendar. That is the date that the Vacationer’s Club will be embarking on a seven-night cruise to Cuba that leaves from Montego Bay, Jamaica. The ship will then be making stops in Santiago de Cuba, Havana, Punta Frances, and Cienfuegos.

There are inside and outside cabins available for this trip, with inside cabins priced at $2125 per person and outside cabins priced at $2285 per person. There are also balcony and suite cabins available upon request.  

Whether you are looking for a simple day trip to see a show in Tampa or you want to get on a cruise ship and sail the high seas, the Citrus Hills Vacationer’s Club has something interesting planned for you. Make sure you book your tickets soon so that you don’t miss out on these great opportunities.