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

Recipe: Tomato and Salami Salad

April 13, 2010 · Narrative

 

Tomato and Salami Salad
Tonight Jamie brought a boy over for dinner.  A he’s-not-my-boyfriend yet, but she wants to know what we think kind of boy.  At first blush, I felt honored that she wanted my opinion.  Given the fact that I’m going through a divorce, that means a lot to me.  The last time she brought someone over for us to meet, it was a guy she had been seeing for a few months, and it was two days before Christmas.  After meeting him, and him spending some time here with us, I gave it a month when she asked me what I thought.  Three weeks later, they were done.  Of course I didn’t want to be right, as long as she’s happy, but it seems I established a bit of a track record for myself.  I even met tonight’s guy before her parents, which tickles me.

So what to make for dinner?  Jamie put in a request for Buffalo Chicken Dip and Penne with Vodka Sauce, both easy recipes that everyone likes.  I added this Tomato and Salami Salad that, although she hadn’t had it before, the kids like, and Chocolate Decadence for dessert, another can’t-go-wrong crowd pleaser.

Nick's Shot

Nick took the above shot. I love that he grabbed a chair to get a view from the top, something he hasn’t seen me do before. Maybe I have a budding photographer on my hands.

As far as meeting Jamie’s guy, I think we’re an easy group to hang out with, and having kids around is a great equalizer. They usually make people feel comfortable right away, getting rid of any awkwardness, assuming, of course, that they happen to like kids. And with Nick and Maddie, well, we’re a pretty lively bunch.

Within minutes of walking in the front door, Jamie’s friend had taken off his shoes and was being dragged on the trampoline for some pre-dinner fun, in his work clothes. Big bonus points for going along with the program. Not like the kids gave him a lot of choice though.

For some reason, many dinners with company end with us displaying some of our, um, family talents. One of which being the fact that Nick and I can hang a spoon from our nose. I’m not sure what that says about us, but as a group, it’s a good icebreaker.

Family Talent

Project 365
April 13, 2010, Photo #77

Badi Biddie

There are a couple of things that Madeline has her own made-up words for. Sometimes they have no resemblance to the original word. I have no idea how she comes up with them. Oh to have the mind of a two-year-old. Probably some mix of Dr. Seuss and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory going on inside that little head. She calls pretzels “putt-putts.” Recently, she discovered marshmallows, and had her first one few. For some reason, she calls them Body Biddie (that might not be how she spells it, but we’re going with the phonetic approach here, folks), with her voice inflection going up high on the last syllable. I wish you could hear her, it’s the cutest thing ever, and we all giggle just a little bit whenever she says it. It just might be our new favorite household word.

One last thing before I sign off for the night … the folks at Babble put together their Top 50 list of Mommy Food Bloggers.  If you haven’t checked it out yet, do give it a look.  You just might discover your new favorite blog right there amongst the glitterati.  I like that the list, while it still contains several popular, familiar names, it also has many new-to-me blogs.  One of my dear readers nominated me/Sweetnicks under the write-in-your-own-favorite category.  I don’t know who did it, but thank you so much – so deeply honored!

Recipe: Chocolate Decadence

February 24, 2010 · Narrative

Chocolate Decadence - Make This

This. This recipe from Cooking Light magazine. Chocolate Decadence. Pure perfection.

I have a confession to make.  I have totally let you down.  I have had this one dessert in my back pocket for a few years now.  Well, more than a few.  Nearly seven to be exact.  Although I have mentioned it a few times here, I haven’t given its proper due.  Tonight, it’s time to right that wrong.

Chocolate Decadence.  A dessert from Cooking Light magazine.  That means less guilt.  THIS is the dessert to impress your dinner guests with.  THIS is the dessert to make when you want to celebrate something.  THIS is the dessert to make a special guy to cap off a very special meal.  THIS is the dessert that will not fail you.  THIS is the one that is restaurant quality but is deceptively simple to make.  THIS is the one that has a slow sugar rush that slowly creeps up your face to your forehead and gives you all sorts of fuzziness as it leads you to your happy place.  THIS is that dessert. If you make no other recipes from here, make this one.  You likely have all the ingredients right in your kitchen cabinet.  Just make it.   Trust me.

Project 365
February 24, 2010, Photo #54

A Story for Next Week

For now, just a picture.  I love this one.  Took it this morning.  Next week, the story to go along with it.

…

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Words. And recipes.

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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! ✨

Pinterest

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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