#flowertherapy might be right up there with #water #flowertherapy might be right up there with #watertherapy.  Love passing the time in secret wildflower patches. As you do. 🌸
I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon was on the way home tonight, and my friend pulled over right away so I could grab a photo. That’s when someone really knows you! It was just too beautiful to resist. 🌙
Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ C Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ 
Context: 1/ picture perfect weekend, 2/ threw together a quick meal w udon noodles, steak and broccoli, so good, 3/ the sun reflections on this painting struck me today, looked like a cross 4/ it takes all afternoon but nothing like Sunday Gravy, 5/ six months old, 6/ when he wants some serious zzzz’s, he covers his eye with his ears, the cutest, 7/ breakfast pastries at @coniglios
I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New Jersey banned the plastic ones last year. But when I spied this beauty for a buck, how could I resist? It just is so darn happy, which makes me happy. The little things aren’t so little. 💛
Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged photo, but Lola just has ZERO boundaries and Clifford is exceptionally patient. 😂
I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s so good for you), so when I saw that a local patisserie has a smoked salmon croissant available (weekends only), I added it to my list of things to seek out. I popped into @chocolatinenj early on Mother’s Day and was rewarded with this deliciousness. Layers of soft flaky croissant dough, tender smoked salmon, light whipped cream, thinly sliced red and green onion slivers and dotted with capers… it was every bit as amazing as you’d imagine it would be. If you’re local, don’t sleep on this one. 😋
Weekend photos in review, the belated edition. 1/ Weekend photos in review, the belated edition.

1/ hit up a few yard sales and snagged this beautiful pasta dish from Italy with my favorite color for a buck, 2/ and one of these printer trays came home with me too, 3/ pre Mother’s Day celebrations with 30 local moms, 4/ finished the weekend supervising furniture assembly
Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd bir Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd birthday. Unfortunately she’s not here to celebrate because she died suddenly at age 49. I think of her often … every Mother’s Day because we spent most of them together since her husband worked weekends … when I discover a new food adventure (we once did a day long donut crawl) … when I’m sharing a special time with my kids knowing that her then-11 year old is growing up without her. Before she passed, I always appreciated every day, but since then, even more so. You never know what the next day can bring, so relish in the sunshine, surprise rainstorms, making wishes over railroad tracks and all the wonderful randomness life can throw your way. Don’t waste a single second, say yes, live on the outskirts of your comfort zone, laugh often, tell people you love them, give eight second hugs, and squeeze every ounce of joy you can out of life. Do it for the people who can’t. ✨
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Sweetnicks

Food and Life

Road Trip

March 27, 2005 · Narrative

Last night, we headed out of town, taking a trip to Allentown, PA, and man, was it all about the food (except for side jaunts to some caverns and the Crayola Factory).

Needing a quick mini-vacation, we planned a one-night trip to the Lehigh Valley area. After checking into our hotel, we were hungry and started scouting around for dinner. Now usually, I’d go out of my way to find a local restaurant to get the “flavor” of the area, but once we saw a Carrabba’s was only a few miles away, we looked no further. One of our favorite starters when entertaining is a bread dipping sauce that is a replica of Carrabbas’ own bread dipping sauce. A yummy herbal concoction mixed with extra virgin olive oil, you could easily make this a meal by itself! Not having any Carrabba’s local to us, we haven’t had a chance to try out the restaurant before.

The Husband ordered the Scampi Damian (named for one of the owners). A dish with a slight kick to it, there was nothing left when he was done. I ordered the Pasta Weesie, a dish I’m on a mission to now recreate at home. Marinated shrimp, mushrooms and scallions in a white wine lemon butter sauce over linguini alfredo — really, with that combination, how could you go wrong? And the fresh baked bread they served with dinner was really excellent as well. Yup, we’re hooked!

One of our favorite restaurants in that area is the Bethlehem Brew Works Brewery and Restaurant. We’ve gone there for about 7 years now, and it never fails to disappoint. Worth a mention is their Beer and Cheese Soup and the Christmas City Salad. I tried in vain to get the recipe (or even just the main ingredients) for the soup, but they wouldn’t budge. I’ve tried to recreate it at home, and have come close, but just not quite there yet. The Christmas City Salad is spinach leaves served with a Cinnamon Vinaigrette topped with candied walnuts, diced green apples, cranberries and gorgonzola cheese. Our two-year-old son delights in picking out the cheese from my plate — he’s definitely my child, a boy fond of those stronger cheeses!

And lastly, our morning started at the Allentown Fairground Farmers Market. What a cool place! Very similar to the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia, PA, it’s a lot bigger. Everything from fresh butcher meat, ground coffee, and nostalgic penny candy, to Amish breads and pies, BBQ chicken and even an old-fashioned barber shop, it gives new meaning to the phrase one-stop shopping. Because we had planned this as one of our stops, we brought a big cooler with us and came back with it bulging. Some of our purchase included Amish Apple Cinnamon bread (smells divine), roast pork, beef jerky sticks (a toddler favorite!), homemade potato chips, extra salty Amish pretzels (yum!), warm bacon dressing (for instant German Potato Salad), homemade rice pudding, pierogies, and much more.

So, if you’re looking for a fun day trip or a quick getaway, and PA is reasonably close to you, check out the above places.

I asked our son what his favorite part of the weekend trip was, fully expecting him to say the Crayola Factory … believe it or not, it was the caverns. On the way there, I showed him a brochure of what the place looked like, so he’d know what to expect, and he kept going back and forth about whether or not he wanted to go, hovering between being scared about it and saying yes. Luckily for us, his last decision was a yes, and he loved it.

Next road trip adventure will be the Poconos in a few weeks, so stay tuned!

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Posted In: Narrative

Comments

  1. Maureen says

    March 27, 2005 at 10:31 pm

    Your trip soundsdivine!

    if I can come over can I have a pretzel?? Oh no make that a piece of the Cinnamon bread…..oh everything sounds sooo good!
    I hope you post recipes if you come up with some copycat recipes- especially for your pasta dish!

    Reply
  2. Cate says

    March 28, 2005 at 8:42 pm

    Kima, that you? C’mon over — we can have that big CLBB swap we’ve been dreaming about. ;) Had the bread toasted this morning for breakfast and it tasted as good as it smelled. No dice on finding a recipe for either of our pasta dishes, but haven’t given up yet!

    Reply
  3. Anonymous says

    March 30, 2005 at 4:57 am

    Your house sounds like so much fun sweetnicks!
    You are such a great cook and so generous with your recipes, time and advice.

    yes this is me kima!!!!!
    Oh wouldn’t that swap be fun! You are near the top of my “I want to meetpeople” from the BB!
    love your blog as usual!!!

    Reply

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#flowertherapy might be right up there with #water #flowertherapy might be right up there with #watertherapy.  Love passing the time in secret wildflower patches. As you do. 🌸
I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon was on the way home tonight, and my friend pulled over right away so I could grab a photo. That’s when someone really knows you! It was just too beautiful to resist. 🌙
Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ C Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ 
Context: 1/ picture perfect weekend, 2/ threw together a quick meal w udon noodles, steak and broccoli, so good, 3/ the sun reflections on this painting struck me today, looked like a cross 4/ it takes all afternoon but nothing like Sunday Gravy, 5/ six months old, 6/ when he wants some serious zzzz’s, he covers his eye with his ears, the cutest, 7/ breakfast pastries at @coniglios
I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New Jersey banned the plastic ones last year. But when I spied this beauty for a buck, how could I resist? It just is so darn happy, which makes me happy. The little things aren’t so little. 💛

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#flowertherapy might be right up there with #water #flowertherapy might be right up there with #watertherapy.  Love passing the time in secret wildflower patches. As you do. 🌸
I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon was on the way home tonight, and my friend pulled over right away so I could grab a photo. That’s when someone really knows you! It was just too beautiful to resist. 🌙
Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ C Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ 
Context: 1/ picture perfect weekend, 2/ threw together a quick meal w udon noodles, steak and broccoli, so good, 3/ the sun reflections on this painting struck me today, looked like a cross 4/ it takes all afternoon but nothing like Sunday Gravy, 5/ six months old, 6/ when he wants some serious zzzz’s, he covers his eye with his ears, the cutest, 7/ breakfast pastries at @coniglios
I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New Jersey banned the plastic ones last year. But when I spied this beauty for a buck, how could I resist? It just is so darn happy, which makes me happy. The little things aren’t so little. 💛
Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged photo, but Lola just has ZERO boundaries and Clifford is exceptionally patient. 😂
I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s so good for you), so when I saw that a local patisserie has a smoked salmon croissant available (weekends only), I added it to my list of things to seek out. I popped into @chocolatinenj early on Mother’s Day and was rewarded with this deliciousness. Layers of soft flaky croissant dough, tender smoked salmon, light whipped cream, thinly sliced red and green onion slivers and dotted with capers… it was every bit as amazing as you’d imagine it would be. If you’re local, don’t sleep on this one. 😋
Weekend photos in review, the belated edition. 1/ Weekend photos in review, the belated edition.

1/ hit up a few yard sales and snagged this beautiful pasta dish from Italy with my favorite color for a buck, 2/ and one of these printer trays came home with me too, 3/ pre Mother’s Day celebrations with 30 local moms, 4/ finished the weekend supervising furniture assembly
Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd bir Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd birthday. Unfortunately she’s not here to celebrate because she died suddenly at age 49. I think of her often … every Mother’s Day because we spent most of them together since her husband worked weekends … when I discover a new food adventure (we once did a day long donut crawl) … when I’m sharing a special time with my kids knowing that her then-11 year old is growing up without her. Before she passed, I always appreciated every day, but since then, even more so. You never know what the next day can bring, so relish in the sunshine, surprise rainstorms, making wishes over railroad tracks and all the wonderful randomness life can throw your way. Don’t waste a single second, say yes, live on the outskirts of your comfort zone, laugh often, tell people you love them, give eight second hugs, and squeeze every ounce of joy you can out of life. Do it for the people who can’t. ✨

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