Okay, okay....it’s a little late, but here’s our Five Fun Things for August in Kelly’s Kitchen! And all five are one topic....STAYCATIONS!!!

1. Not that the $700 AC repair bill has anything to do with it, but I’ll be taking next week off and enjoy what’s so close to home (and less expensive than airfare anywhere) right here in Tampa Bay. An afternoon on the water in downtown St Pete gives me the perfect excuse to visit my favorite place to chill - the award winning Paciugo Gelato and Café on Beach Drive. Unbelievably good and not a diet killer for that lovely small cup of heaven. You can mix your flavors or be a purist, but it’s not to be missed.

2. A chance to clean out the pantry and cupboards and eliminate what I don’t need, like artificial ingredients, preservatives and other such items. And a better chance to fill it with what I do need, like fresh spices, good pasta and more. And then make a trip to some of my favorite natural food stores like Nature's Food Patch and Jem's Natural Living for a little advice and shopping. I must admit to being very fond of the salad and entree bar in Nature's Food Patch. Quick, healthy and a much better choice for something fast.

3. As long as I’m cleaning out the old, we’ll bring in the new courtesy of some fresh items from the local farmers markets. Where can you still find them open? Plenty of places! Saturday morning there's the Ybor City Market in Centennial Park at 9 am, the Williams Park Summer Market, Safety Harbor Summertime Market in John Wilson Park on the 18th and the Wiregrass Fresh Market in The Shops at Wiregrass in Wesley Chapel. And quick tip; bring along cooler and ice so you don't have to rush right home in case you feel like visiting more than one.

4. Find at least one or two new wonderful places to recommend that you stop at as well; it seems to just happen when you’re least looking for them. That roadside barbeque joint with the smoker out front that just lures you in with that intoxicating aroma, the little Italian restaurant that makes you feel like family, or perhaps taking a friend to that one place I’ve always wanted to try...wherever that might be.

5. Bake my buns off! I know I can reinvent a few recipes so when people see me coming with the muffins, the cookies, the pound cakes and more, they don’t immediately contact the diet police. Bottom line is I want to enjoy them too.

Wow. Staying around home sounds better now that I see it in writing. I’m always open to your suggestions for places to go and taste. Send them along at ann.kelly@coxinc.com. I’m really looking forward to hearing from you. Don’t be afraid to send me on a day trip...I still think I can afford the gas....maybe....

WORDS OF WISDOM FROM KELLY’S KITCHEN

Laughter is an instant vacation. ~Milton Berle