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

Sweetnicks Hits the Keys

February 7, 2006 · Narrative

Elise did it amazingly fast and correctly guessed that we were in Key West today. Congrats! And now the clues will have to get harder. In the meantime, Elise, drop me a line … your blog doesn’t load and I don’t have an e-mail address for you.

The weather today was absolutely perfect, and we got in everything from shopping and gallery-hopping (my favorite!) to eating at an authentic Cuban restaurant and a swim in the pool.

The Husband, being Cuban, was anxious to grab a bite to eat at a good local Cuban restaurant and asked a shopkeeper we met for a recommendation. She sent us to El Meson de Pepe, which was a fantastic tip. They had both indoor and outdoor seating, and taking advantage of the weather, we sat outside. Decorated Havana-style, the inside is filled with tons of Cuban history, featuring everything from photos of old Cuban restaurants and bands to Cuban sports heroes and bodegas. It was a great choice to visit. The Husband got a Pork Sandwich with Fried Plantain Chips, The Neighbor got Coconut Shrimp and I got Pepe’s Cuban Nachos, which, starting with a base of Fried Plantain Chips (love them!), it was topped with Ropa Vieja and Picadillo. Definitely a worthwhile visit.

Inside the back of the restaurant, there was a cigar store with a woman hand rolling the cigars, and a gift store. I spied a cookbook I want, The Columbia Restaurant Cookbook (I didn’t know they had their own cookbook and after making a salad recipe from them recently, this is definitely one I want), but at $38, I’ll be getting it from Amazon instead, where it’s a bargain $15! Along the way though, I did, however, pick up a few bottles of Key West Lime Juice and a Key West Lime Juice cookbook (of course!). Also managed to grab The Florida Keys Cookbook and The Habana Cafe Cookbook.

When planning our shopping excursions, the main things I was looking for were local/regional cookbooks, beach prints and nautical maps. I always collect a local cookbook when we visit a new area; that’s a given. But for souvenir purposes, I’ve started collecting nautical maps showing the area that we’re in and I’m going to use them in our soon-to-be mudroom. It ends up being a nice thing to look back on and is educational for Nicholas (and much better than those ticky-tacky souvenirs they usually sell). Same thing with the beach prints.

Ok, for tomorrow’s destination… here are the clues: An outbreak of smallpox swept this small area way back when, and although at one point, the population was 40,000, thirty years later, it was completely abandoned. It was a popular base for pirates several centuries ago and now the population is up to a whopping 175,000 people! Once a sleepy fishing village, it has been deemed one of the most beautiful scuba diving places in the world. No more clues for you … and Elise, no guessing. ;) First person in my Comments sections to correctly name the city we’re hitting tomorrow wins a cookbook.

One more thing before I forget… this week, since I’m away, Stephanie from Dispensing Happiness has generously agreed to guest host tomorrow’s edition of ARF/5-A-Day #6, so please send your submission to her (e-mail the permalink to thehappysorceress@gmail.com). Next week, it’ll be back here as usual.

All for now… until tomorrow…

Mallory Square Marketplace

Cuban Restaurant Lunch Stop – El Meson de Pepe

Outside Dining

Inside of Restaurant – Cuban Sports Heroes

Inside of Restaurant – Cuban Restaurant Pictures

Inside of Restaurant – Band Area

Cigar Rolling

Pepe’s Cuban Nachos

Key West Historic Area

Key West Sunset

Afternoon Pool Time

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Posted In: Narrative

Comments

  1. Anonymous says

    February 7, 2006 at 7:17 am

    hi!
    im an avid reader that LOVES your recipes! i dont have my own site but i do have a guess! COZUMEL????

    hope you guys are having fun!

    –stephanie tanner
    (smtanner82@hotmail.com)

    Reply
  2. Kalyn says

    February 7, 2006 at 1:38 pm

    I’m seriously jealous that you are having Cuban food. I used to go to Florida a lot (for meetings) and I learned to love the Cuban restaurants. Have fun!

    Reply
  3. Ashwini (ashwinibadve@yahoo.com) says

    February 7, 2006 at 2:04 pm

    Is it British Virgin Islands???

    P.S: Love your blog!

    Reply
  4. Anonymous says

    February 7, 2006 at 2:10 pm

    Like Stephanie I am an avid reader of your blog and also love the recipes and info I get here.
    I don’t have a blog but do have a guess. Belize??

    Have a great time!

    –michelle
    (michelledeal@bellsouth.net)

    Reply
  5. PatL says

    February 7, 2006 at 5:09 pm

    Yep, it’s Cozumel, all right. Rats! Stephanie beat me to it!!

    Reply
  6. Tyanne says

    February 7, 2006 at 5:09 pm

    Hi Sweetnicks, am glad you all are having so much fun. Am so envious. I have a guess too, La Paz, Mexico?

    Reply
  7. Patti says

    February 7, 2006 at 10:25 pm

    Glad you are having a good time!

    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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