Hole in the liquor store...

THURSDAY RECAP:

9:00am:  Breakfast- Rice cake with peanut butter

11:00am:  Snack- Peach

12:30pm:  Lunch- Smoothie bowl with Coconut butter...weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

You know I couldn't wait to have another one of these babies with my new jar of coconut butter!  

In the mix:

• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• Frozen cherries & blueberries
• 1/4 cup oats
• 1 scoop protein powder
• Toppings:  Coconut butter & Caramel sea salt Coconut chips

3:00pm:  Snack #2- Watermelon & Feta

Mmmmmmm...and then it was time for the funJ  We were headed down to Point Pleasant last night (for Katie ScottJ) and decided to try out a new place:  The Hickory Hog BBQ in Point Pleasant Borough...

This place was not really a hole in the wall as much as it was a hole in a liquor store...literallyJ  They shared an entrance with Buy Rite liquor and you would miss it if you didn't know it was there.    ....NOT that any of the locals missed it.  We walked into a clean & quiet dining room, and by the time we left, EVERY table was occupied and calls were coming in left & right for take out.  You KNOW that's a good sign!

And here's why:  Their menu was soooooo good, we had trouble narrowing down our choices.  Lots of unique items including the BBQ Pulled Pork Nachos (fresh chips smothered in pulled pork & cheddar = impossible to be bad!J):

...and "Hog Rolls"

Spring roll wrappers stuffed with pulled pork, cole slaw & cheddar, these made for some unique & interesting bites!

And since we attacked the appetizer menu full-throttle, we decided to split an entree in the hopes of not going OVER-the-top-FULLJ  Scott chose the tender steak tips tossed with BBQ sauce, as well as baked beans, TOTS and corn bread...

...NOT that I got any more than a BITE of my share of cornbread, since Katie decided she LOVED "corn cake" and proceed to eat nearly all of my share and MOST of Scott's tooJ  But EVERY bite of this ENTIRE dinner was delish...a definite 'return to' contenderJ

And after dinner, we walked off our meal by heading to the boardwalk for all of Katie's favs, including the rides:

...and the Thursday night FREE fireworksJ

And not 3 minutes after the last firework exploded in the sky, we felt rain drops which quickly escalated into a full-blown rain storm.  Would now be a good time to mention that someone so kindly left us their parking spot, which still had four hours left on the meter, so we scored free parking last night (SO NICE!  THANKS, KIND PEOPLE)...which was SO GREAT until the storm intensified and we had to walk the looooooonnnggg walk back to our car in the soaking rain since it was a little hike away from the boardwalk??J  Ehhhhh...but what's a little rain compared to saving $10+ on parking, AMIRIGHT?  It was just a funny timing coincidenceJ

We made an attempt to go to Hoffman's, but everyone ELSE must have had the same idea and retreated there as wellJ  That place was STILL packed to the gills on a Thursday night at 10pm!  And waiting 30 numbers + wet clothes didn't seem like too thrilling of a prospect, so we called it a night...and I don't think Katie minded one bitJ

Well, hope you guys enjoyed another 'Jersey shore' recap and have some FUN plans for the weekend!  We definitely have ONE plan for Katie that should be verrryyyyy interestingJ  I'll explain in one second AKA-how fast Monday is going to arriveJ

HAVE A GREAT ONE!

Valentines Day: Donna edition:)

Hey everyone!  Hope you had (or are still HAVING!) a great weekend.  It was absolutely gorgeous in NJ the last few days, even putting me (THE LOVER OF WINTER) in the mood for spring!  But before we get too ahead of ourselves, let's back track a bit to our Saturday afternoon spent on Scott's 'surprise Valentines' day out....this year at the 'Lovin' Oven' in Frenchtown, NJ....

Which was suchhhhhhhhh a tiny & cute place in itty bitty Frenchtown.  Tons of natural sunlight highlighted the room of wooden & painted chairs & tables decorated with fresh flowers... 

Hmmmm...maybe this was why we were in the mood for spring??  These fresh flowers smelled sooooo scrumptious throughout our whole mealJ 

Anyway...back to the foodJ  "Lovin' Oven" has one of those menus that I ABSOLUTELY ADORE:  Local, organic and SEASONAL!  Thier website is continually updated with thier list of specials that change WEEKLY.  (I already can't wait to see what offerings FALL will bringJ)   

But we just HAD to start with one of thier standards: the potato pancakes.  A fluffy & light mix of battered onion and shredded potatoes.  Even with our main courses, we couldn't keep our forks from sneaking bites of these babies.  So good...and not greasy or heavy as you would expect.

And speaking of our main dishes, Scott had ordered a bacon wrapped meatloaf sandwich.  Whichhhhh I would have gotten a picture of had I not been COMPLETELY enamoured by one of the BEST sandwiches I've ever had....ever.  Roast turkey, brie cheese, sliced apples, THICK slices of bacon, herbed mayo (and my addition) of sliced avocado on toasted 7-grain bread....O.M.G, this thing was OFF. THE. CHARTS!

It was fun to get little bites where you could REALLY taste JUST the melty brie, or the sweetness of the apples, or the salty & smokey bacon, or the creamy avocado....but your 'lucky bites' were when you got everything together.  I'm tellin you, for a 'simple' TURKEY SANDWICH, this one was just OUT of this worldJ

And as if our main dishes weren't outstanding enough, dessert just took this lunch over the edge.  First up was Scott's Peanut Butter mousse pie in a thick graham cracker crust and layered with smoooooooth chocolate, the creamy peanut butter and topped with chocolate chunks.... 

That thing was incredible...buttttttttt, the reason we had even HEARD of 'Lovin Oven' to begin with was for THIS little number... 

The Chocolate Caramel SEA SALT tart had been featured on Food Network's "Best Thing I Ever Ate" (yep...they somehow found tiny little Frenchtown, NJJ) and this little piece of heaven deserves all its accolades.  It was one of those desserts that you tasted, and then as all of the layers (and SALT) began to melt in your mouth, it just got better & better...and better!!  I think I slowly savoured this tart for about 10 minutesJ  You just never wanted it to endJ hahahahahhahahahaha...simply 'knock your socks' off good! 

We finished our meal & I wanted to order another round of...EVERYTHING!  Definitely two thumbs up and I already can't wait to visit again ASAP...even if it would be a HARD SELL to try anything ELSE on thier awesome menu since this 'round' was just sooooo outstandingJ 

And when we were getting ready to leave, we couldn't help but spy on thier gaggle of homemade treats...    

...so how could we resist bringing a piece of Lovin' Oven home as a breakfast treat on Sunday morning?? 

Scott went with a blueberry crumb muffin, while I selected a banana... 

...CHOCOLATE CHUNK muffin.  And they were NOT messing around in the 'chocolate chunk' departmentJ  DE-LIC-IOUS!

And, ironically enough, Lovin Oven wasn't the ONLY "Best Thing I Ever Ate" influence on Valentine's Day...as Scott also surprised me with a box of these from heaven Seattle... 

You see, Bobby Flay had listed Fran's Coconut Gold Bars as his favorite "Holiday Treat" back in an episode in December, which sent Scott promptly to their website to place an order for his coconut-obsessed wife for Christmas.

The problem?  We, apparently, were not the only ones watching the episode and they had been COMPLETELY SOLD OUT for the holidays.

So even though I found a stellar box of Fran's Grey & Sea Salt milk & dark caramels under the Christmas tree this year...

...my heart had still been beating to try those Gold Bars.  And thankfully, cupid made a delivery right to my house on February 14th and I finally got to sample the most 'fancied up' and exquisite "Mounds Bars" you could ever tasteJ 

Smooooth dark chocolate & smoked almonds cover what I can only describe as COCONUT BUTTER.  The filling is just soooooooooo smooth, creamy & dreamy, that I just may be known to nibble off all of the chocolate before enjoying the PURE. COCONUT. BLISS. centerJ  They were at least worth the wait...x's 1,000,000J

Soooo, that about wraps up our weekend AND our "Valentines Festivites 2012"J hehhehheheehe....I have my whole menu planned out of meals for this week, including a couple new & interesting ones that I can't WAIT to try.  (ya know...that's IF we don't get any 'surprises' this weekJ)  Stay tuned and enjoy your day!  (especially if you're lucky enough to call today a DAY OFF!)

Best of 2011: Travel Edition

Hey everyone!  Long time, no chat...again.  Sorry about that.  After surveying our 11 day break together this week, Scott & I quickly realized it would probably be our last 'stretch of days' with just the 2 of us for...awhileJ  So we spent them doing all the things we know we won't be doing in the near future:  leisurely days, long 'mini road trip' lunches, NAPSJ hahahhahhahahahhaa  We have one more day together, but I wanted to get this post up for you today before it was mid-January...hahahahhahahahahaJ  The lover of lists in me has 2 days worth of "Tops" for you (like last year) and up first is the one that helps me conjure up some of my favorite memories of the year: Top 10's: Traveling/Eating Out EditionJ

TOP 10 DISHES OF 2011:

#10- Cheesesteak Grilled Cheese: Pop Shop, Collingswood

#9-  Scott's first "In & Out" burgerJ:  In & Out, west coast locations
(you MUST get the Double Double with fried onions!)

#8- Spaghetti & Tuna Fish:  Buenos Aires, Sant' Agata, Italy

#7- Stuffed Peppers:  Lo Stuzzichino, Sant' Agata, Italy

#6- Sundried tomatoes & buffalo mozzarella: Inn Bufalito, Sorrento, Italy

#5-  "Jim Rome":  Ike's, San Francisco

#4-  Roasted Garlic Guacamole: El Vez, Philadelphia

#3-  Seafood Risotto:  Ristorante Delfino, Sorrento, Italy

#2-  Dungeness Crab Roll:  Fish, Saulsolito, California

#1 Dish of 2011:  Pasta e Patate con Provolone: Lo Stuzzichino, Sant' Agata, Italy

Here's the 'don't mess around' category! 

Top 10 Desserts

#10-  Nutella Calzone: Dar Poeta, Rome

#9- Coconut Cream Donut: Donut Plant, NYC

#8-  Ricotta Pear Cake: Ristorante Delfino, Sorrento, Italy

#7- Orange Ricotta Cheesecake: Der Pallaro, Rome

#6- Red Velvet Cupcake: Sweet Eats Bakery, Voorhees, NJ

#5-  Gelato...ANY of it in Italy!!!: particularly San Crispino, Rome

#4:  Chocolate cream & hazelnut milkshake: Max Brenner's, NYC & Philadelphia

#3- Nutella Gelato: Giolitti, Rome

#2- Morning Buns: Tartine Bakery, San Francisco

#1- Triple Coconut Cream Pie: Ritz Seafood, Voorhees, NJ

And I have two more categories I had to sneak in!

Top 5 "Best Atmosphere"
My favorite unique dining experiences while out & aboutJ

#5:  The lovely lounge deck: Treno, Westmont, NJ


#4:  Cookies in an alley??:  Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory, Chinatown, San Francisco


#3:  One of the most gorgeous bars I ever set foot in:  Cafe Lacatedral, Madrid, Spain


#2:  "Cart" Dim Sum: Yank Sing, San Francisco


#1:  "No menus, you'll have what we give you":  Der Pallaro, Rome


And here's just 3 things that needed their own category:

The best 'they just don't make it the same over here' of Italy:  The Olive Oil!


Best Coffee EVER:  Blue Bottle Coffee Company, San Francisco


And finally:
"I've been to Italy & back and can STILL say THIS IS THE BEST"
My beloved Delorenzo's Tomato Pies
(which is sadly closing on January 15th...sigh)

Hope you guys have a VERY Happy & Safe New Years!!! I'll be back tomorrow with my Top dinner & dessert recipes.  Hope you like lists as much as I do!J