Always looking for sunshine, figuratively and lite Always looking for sunshine, figuratively and literally. Sometimes we don’t have to look very far and it finds us. ☀️
It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasand It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasandwichshoppe when a friend texted me a screenshot of their cheese butter. Up until last week I had never even heard of cheese butter but just two days later, I’m driving an hour round trip to get some. 😂 I was never one to succumb to peer pressure (I didn’t have my first drink until I was 21!), but when it comes to food finds, I am very easily intrigued. After all, that’s how I’ve discovered some of my favorite bites over the years … lardo from @butlerandtheboard, a spicy Italian sausage, and my love of chicharron. If you haven’t visited Mike’s in Nutley, it’s worth a visit. While there, I also got a small tray of meatballs (a bargain at $10!) and a delicious mortadella sandwich that is worth a round trip. ✨
The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter nee The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter need a little bit of color, so here you go. 😍 Love this chest of drawers. Discovered it buried in a local shop and bought it specifically for the green color (one of my favorites). Vintage Coke crate was a $10 score from a garage sale place on Facebook some ten years ago. And the assorted markers in Roy G Biv order (natch) that aren’t used anymore because my kids have sadly left that phase. 🙃
Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo s Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo style, hope you had a good one! ✨
A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if I wanted her to bring me back anything. Would you believe me if I told you I asked for salt? I love picking up different varieties, whether we’re traveling or I’m just visiting a new shop. Maddie grabbed me a super cute one from her trip to Paris last year, and the Magic Unicorn Salt I get locally is another favorite. What’s yours?
One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a serious case of FOMO on the daily, gets hiccups more than anyone we know and has perpetual bed head. She’s quite the unique roommate but may be exactly what our home needed. 💛
I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw th I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw that @njdotcom had picked six bagel shops at the “best in the state,” and one was reasonably local, all the sudden I needed one. I was never one to fall prey to peer pressure, but I’m very definitely a marketer’s dream. 😂 Alfa Bagels is on Route 10 in Randolph and has a good assortment of bagels, including all the usual suspects, but with a few others like rainbow, Asiago and French Toast throw in for good measure. Their bagels always seem to have a nice chew, which I appreciate and I love their sesame one. My go-to order lately is a double toasted flagel with lox spread and tomato. Their lox spread is a little ho hum, but the bagel is delish. Check them out next time you’ve got a craving (or get motivated by a local news story 😝). What’s your bagel order?
✌🏻 ✌🏻
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Sweetnicks

Food and Life

‘Twas the Night Before the Night Before Christmas…

December 24, 2005 · Narrative

Phew – finally made it to Friday, and even made it to work for awhile today. Things are certainly looking up! Unfortunately both The Husband AND The Neighbor both went to the doctor today and BOTH have sinus infections too. Hey, at least we can all share the misery. In the meantime, The Neighbor Husband is the only healthy one of us four, so he better hang strong for the rest of us!

Nicholas and The Girlfriend have their regular Friday Night Date Night, and it was our turn to be “free” for a few hours. We haven’t been out to dinner by ourselves in AGES and grabbed a bite to eat at Charlie Browns. One of the best dinners I’ve had out in a long time … don’t know if it was just because I’ve been feeling so lousy lately or what, but it really hit the spot. Just Garlic Prime Rib with Frizzled Onions, and their salad bar, which I loved, but I ate till I couldn’t eat any more.

OK, finally have my menu planned for tomorrow. As I’ve mentioned, being half-Italian, Christmas Eve tradition is the Feast of Seven Fishes.

Pre-dinner munchies will be Bleu Cheese Chips and then Assorted Breadsticks with Smoked Salmon Chive Pate (fish #1!), Green Olive and Mascarpone Dip and Shrimp Spread (fish #2!). Dinner will start with a Warm Spinach Salad with Crispy Pancetta and Goat Cheese and an Antipasto Platter (a must have at our holiday tables). Then, Cioppino (Italian Fish Stew), taking care of fish #3-7, served with Cheddar Chive Bread. I purposely planned a really easy meal, knowing I didn’t want to overdue it. I just ordered all the groceries online for pick-up tomorrow morning — can’t get easier than that! French tradition for Christmas Eve is 13 desserts, and Mom’s got that covered. I’m looking forward to it … this is definitely one of my favorite times of the year.

Our Christmas Morning breakfast tradition is a dozen Dunkin’ Donuts. I have NO idea how that got started, but it did some 13+ years ago. I’ve decided to add to it a little bit and will also be making Baked Eggs and Mushrooms in Ham Crisps and Egg Nog French Toast with Cranberry-Apple Compote. Sounds like a yummy way to start the day, eh? Out of all the recipes planned for this weekend, only 2 are tried-and-true, so fingers crossed that I get a few winners here. Mom’s taking care of Christmas Day dinner.

We’re going to spend the night at my parents’ house tomorrow night, along with my sister and brother-in-law, so it should be fun with everyone waking up in the same house on Christmas morning. The ONLY thing Nicholas wants from Santa is a guitar. He’s a kid with simple tastes, what can I say?

Until tomorrow…

P.S. No Weekend Dog Blogging this weekend. For the first time since its inception 15 weeks ago, we’re going to take this weekend off to enjoy the holidays. But do snap away if you see some cute, can’t resist ’em poses from your pup, because Weekend Dog Blogging will be back in full force next weekend. ;)

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Posted In: Narrative

Comments

  1. abe/happy says

    December 24, 2005 at 5:17 am

    Just popped in to wish you a **Merry Christmas Sweetnicks**

    Reply
  2. paz says

    December 24, 2005 at 6:00 am

    What a full menu you have planned. Happy eating!

    I wish you a Merry Christmas and fantastic 2006!

    Paz

    Reply
  3. Sadaf Trimarchi says

    December 24, 2005 at 3:56 pm

    wow! Everything sounds fantastic, and I love the Dunkin Donuts tradition.

    Hope the family feels better, and Merry Christmas!

    -S

    Reply
  4. Sandysknitting says

    December 24, 2005 at 5:53 pm

    I thought this would be a good time to speak up, being a lurker on your blog for a while! :)
    Merry Christmas to you and your family! Hope you feel better!
    Sandy
    http://www.sandysknitting.com/

    Reply
  5. Joe says

    December 25, 2005 at 2:20 am

    Merry Christmas to you and your family Sweetnicks!

    Reply

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Always looking for sunshine, figuratively and lite Always looking for sunshine, figuratively and literally. Sometimes we don’t have to look very far and it finds us. ☀️
It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasand It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasandwichshoppe when a friend texted me a screenshot of their cheese butter. Up until last week I had never even heard of cheese butter but just two days later, I’m driving an hour round trip to get some. 😂 I was never one to succumb to peer pressure (I didn’t have my first drink until I was 21!), but when it comes to food finds, I am very easily intrigued. After all, that’s how I’ve discovered some of my favorite bites over the years … lardo from @butlerandtheboard, a spicy Italian sausage, and my love of chicharron. If you haven’t visited Mike’s in Nutley, it’s worth a visit. While there, I also got a small tray of meatballs (a bargain at $10!) and a delicious mortadella sandwich that is worth a round trip. ✨
The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter nee The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter need a little bit of color, so here you go. 😍 Love this chest of drawers. Discovered it buried in a local shop and bought it specifically for the green color (one of my favorites). Vintage Coke crate was a $10 score from a garage sale place on Facebook some ten years ago. And the assorted markers in Roy G Biv order (natch) that aren’t used anymore because my kids have sadly left that phase. 🙃
Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo s Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo style, hope you had a good one! ✨

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Always looking for sunshine, figuratively and lite Always looking for sunshine, figuratively and literally. Sometimes we don’t have to look very far and it finds us. ☀️
It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasand It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasandwichshoppe when a friend texted me a screenshot of their cheese butter. Up until last week I had never even heard of cheese butter but just two days later, I’m driving an hour round trip to get some. 😂 I was never one to succumb to peer pressure (I didn’t have my first drink until I was 21!), but when it comes to food finds, I am very easily intrigued. After all, that’s how I’ve discovered some of my favorite bites over the years … lardo from @butlerandtheboard, a spicy Italian sausage, and my love of chicharron. If you haven’t visited Mike’s in Nutley, it’s worth a visit. While there, I also got a small tray of meatballs (a bargain at $10!) and a delicious mortadella sandwich that is worth a round trip. ✨
The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter nee The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter need a little bit of color, so here you go. 😍 Love this chest of drawers. Discovered it buried in a local shop and bought it specifically for the green color (one of my favorites). Vintage Coke crate was a $10 score from a garage sale place on Facebook some ten years ago. And the assorted markers in Roy G Biv order (natch) that aren’t used anymore because my kids have sadly left that phase. 🙃
Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo s Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo style, hope you had a good one! ✨
A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if I wanted her to bring me back anything. Would you believe me if I told you I asked for salt? I love picking up different varieties, whether we’re traveling or I’m just visiting a new shop. Maddie grabbed me a super cute one from her trip to Paris last year, and the Magic Unicorn Salt I get locally is another favorite. What’s yours?
One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a serious case of FOMO on the daily, gets hiccups more than anyone we know and has perpetual bed head. She’s quite the unique roommate but may be exactly what our home needed. 💛
I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw th I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw that @njdotcom had picked six bagel shops at the “best in the state,” and one was reasonably local, all the sudden I needed one. I was never one to fall prey to peer pressure, but I’m very definitely a marketer’s dream. 😂 Alfa Bagels is on Route 10 in Randolph and has a good assortment of bagels, including all the usual suspects, but with a few others like rainbow, Asiago and French Toast throw in for good measure. Their bagels always seem to have a nice chew, which I appreciate and I love their sesame one. My go-to order lately is a double toasted flagel with lox spread and tomato. Their lox spread is a little ho hum, but the bagel is delish. Check them out next time you’ve got a craving (or get motivated by a local news story 😝). What’s your bagel order?
✌🏻 ✌🏻

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