Summer is rapidly approaching, bringing with it endless days of sun, swimming and chocolate. What chocolate? It goes with everything so why not a chocolate summer camp? And who better to do it than Peterbrooke Chocolatier?

Every Saturday for $45, you can learn to temper chocolate and create you very own basket of tasty chocolate treats. The camp at the San Marco Boulevard Peterbrooke starts at 11:30 every Saturday morning and lasts until about 2:00 p.m. Reservations are required. For more information, contact the San Marco Peterbrooke store at 398.2488.

All Spiced Up proudly presents:  Chef Elliott Farmer

He is famous for “soul food with a jazzy flair”  which combines casual and familiar with creative and authentic. He creates an experience that marries comfort, warmth and a fusion of soul flavors. This three-part combination creates the Chef Elliot experience.  Chef Elliott has successfully owned and operated Farmer’s Gourmet Catering for 15 years and is widely known for his unique menus from soul food capitals to dishes that are sophisticated in flavor, yet true to their origins.

All Spiced Up is happy to be a part of  Chef Elliott’s annual book signing and culinary tour!  Join them  for this FREE Visiting Chef event at All Spiced Up!

Where:
All Spiced Up
1972 San Marco Blvd.
Jacksonville, FL 32207
904.524.8377
allspicedup@inbox.com

Date and time: Saturday, May 18, 2013 – Noon - 4 pm

The Menu
All Spiced Up has created a unique Soul Seasoning Blend personalized for Chef Elliott!
You are in for a treat(s)!

Music Provided By:
Akia Uwanda
Jacksonville native, Akia, will grace this wonderful event with a soul and jazz concert.  Don’t miss her magical voice!

Wine Provided By: The Grotto
If you haven’t visited The Grotto in San Marco, you have missed a lovely, intimate place to relax and visit with friends. Come sample some of their wines at this event!

As owner of NBA team the Dallas Mavericks and successful entrepreneur Mark Cuban noted on his blog, “We freak out about the trillions of dollars in debt our country faces. What about the trillion dollar plus debt college kids are facing?”

More than 37 million Americans are burdened with student debt, and they’re falling more behind on their student loans than ever before. Long-term delinquency rates for student loans are higher than delinquency rates of car loans, mortgages and home equity lines of credit.

This isn’t too surprising, though, given the sluggish job market. According to a recent labor analysis by the Associated Press, over half of bachelor’s degree-holders under 25 are underemployed or can’t find a job at all.

“Although the situation is growing worse, the federal government hasn’t been able to find a real solution to the student loan crisis,” says Amy Mintz, founder of Student Body of America Association (SBAA). SBAA is a nonprofit organization that provides resources and viable solutions to American students struggling with student loan debt and the skyrocketing cost of education.

SBAA is the fiscal sponsor of CrowdFundEDU, a social fundraising platform with tangible results and real-world applications. In short, it could be a critical piece in the student debt puzzle.

“CrowdFundEDU is basically KickStarter for education,” explains Mintz. “People hold an online fundraiser for any education-related goal. That includes tuition, student loans, seminars, equipment, study-abroad programs, activities, you name it.”

Like KickStarter, CrowdFundEDU capitalizes on social networks to rally supporters to donate to a worthwhile educational cause. People can either donate directly to fundraisers or make a donation to SBAA, which is tax-deductible and disbursed to students and school fundraisers.

While CrowdFundEDU can be used for all levels of education — from K-12 all the way to a PhD and trade schools and certifications — it has sparked particular interest for its valued potential to change the current unsustainable system that is caught in a debt trap between the unforgiving cost of higher education and a dismal job market. See how crowdfunding will provide help for student loans and overall support for higher education at www.crowdfundedu.com.

Be the Dinosaur uses state-of-the-art video game technology to allow visitors to BE a dinosaur.   Applying lessons learned about different dinosaur species, their habitats, predators, and in some cases prey, visitors will embark on a quest for survival, seeking food, water, shelter and safety. Other activities include examining real fossils in the Field Station, climbing aboard the Dinosaur Safari Jeep, and using dinosaur models to role play on a 3-D Cretaceous landscape.

MOSH will present dinosaur-themed programming throughout the summer to give visitors an immersive experience.  Programming includes:

May 11 – Grand Opening of Be the Dinosaur – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

June 15 – Family Dino Day – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

June 17 – 21 – Dino-Tastic Summer Camp – 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

July 13 – Dozing With Dinos – 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m.

July 25 – MOSH After Dark: Walking With Tyrannosaurus Rex –  6 p.m.

August 17 – Fossil I.D. Day – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For program descriptions, visit http://themosh.org/bethedino.html.

The Museum of Science & History (MOSH) is located at 1025 Museum Circle near Friendship Park. MOSH, first chartered in 1941, inspires the joy of lifelong learning by bringing to life the sciences and regional history. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday – Thursday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday; and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.  Admission is $10 for adults and $8 for active and retired military, seniors and children ages 3 through 12.  There is no admission fee for children 2 and under or museum members. Admission is $5 on Fridays.

Fletcher Park, 1652 Atlantic Blvd.

6:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Price: FREE!

Come relax and dance to the tunes of The Band “3″ at SMPS’ Spring Concert in the Park! Dine on fabulous gourmet sandwiches and tacos from renowned food truck, On the Fly Sandwiches & Stuff! Beer and wine will be available for sale. Have your children get their faces painted after breaking boards with Master Jason of Watson Martial Arts!

Tables are available for $60 donation for a table of 6 and $80 donation for a table of 8. Please contact LeAnna Cumber at 202-355-8760 to reserve tables of for any questions you may have. See you there!

Source: SMPSjax.com

Did you know that there were no oranges in Florida before the 1500′s?

When did beef, sugar, wheat… and a surprising assortment of other everyday foods get introduced to our region?

Jeff Spear, author of  ”The First Coast Heritage Cookbook”, will regale you with stories about the culinary history along the First Coast, while you enjoy a feast of historically influenced food and drinks, prepared by Chef Jamey Evoniuk, of The Chef’s Garden.

Don’t Miss this opportunity to taste history, and get a first look at this newly released gem of a cookbook!

Date:  May 17th

Time:  7:00pm

Cost:  $75.00 per person

Location:  MDS Design Studio, 3915 Hendricks Avenue

RSVP by May 13th – Ellen@MillworkDesignStudio.com or 904.399.1636

Therapie is dropping your purchase to you. Make a purchase in the store or browse Therapie’s Facebook albums and call the store with your order and the staff will drop your purchase to you.

Now that’s the kind of therapy I need.

9:00 – 10:00 Breakfast is served – $8.50
Enjoy a selection of blueberry pancakes, scrambled eggs with fresh herbs and vegetables, rosemary potatoes, coffee and orange juice.
Ellen@MillworkDesignStudio.com or 904-399-1636

10:15 – 12:15 Watercolors with Jennie Szaltis – $35.00
Renowned Jacksonville artist, Jennie Szaltis, will guide you in the art of watercolor painting to create a beautiful floral painting of your own.  A perfect workshop for those who have been thinking about trying watercolors, as well as those with prior experience.  Materials Included.
Jennie@JenniesGallery.com or 904-294-3135

12:30 – 1:30 Lunch with Chef’s Garden – $10.95
A delectable assortment of gourmet sandwiches, teas and sweets from the caterers of the Cummer Museum and Tee Cup Cafe’.
Ellen@MillworkDesignStudio.com or 904-399-1636

1:45 – 3:00 Floral Design with Lori Taylor – $25.00
Lori Taylor, owner of Trends Art and Home Boutique, will show you how to design a lovely floral arrangement you can take with you to brighten your home or to give as a Mother’s Day gift!
Ltaylor4366@comcast.net or 904-346-1738

3:15 – 4:30 Create your Own Signature Spice – $15.00
Ana Hernandez, owner of All Spiced up, will be demonstrating the art of mixing herbs and spices.  You will have the opportunity to taste and smell various fresh Mediterranean spices, as she teaches you how they go together and compliment different foods.  Each participant will take home their own signature spice.
allspicedup@inbox.com or 904-542-8377

5:30 – 8:00 Rythm and Blues Music and Art Opening – Free
End the day with wine and appetizers while you enjoy some great music and inspired artwork from some of the finest local artists.

Reservations must be made separately for each event.
Hosted by: MDS Design Studio, Trends Art & Home Boutique and Jennie’s Gallery
3915 & 3919 Hendricks Avenue

The award was presented by Richard Moore, Historic Commission Member, who stated, “The resulting plan lays out 11 unique districts within the study area.  It ultimately recognized the need to promote infill development that makes economic sense and enhances the vitality of San Marco neighborhoods, while preserving its historic character.”

The Jacksonville Historic Commission gives out preservation awards each year in May in conjunction with National Preservation Month.  SMPS has received preservation awards twice in the past:  Once, for the renovation of the South Jacksonville City Hall building and once for the publication of a book on the history of San Marco entitled “Southbank Sojourn.”

Other partners who participated in this project were Florida Blue, FLAGG Design Studio, Healthy Jacksonville and the Health Planning Council of Northeast Florida, making it a unique public, private and nonprofit community partnership.

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