Hey there! Happy Hump Day!
I’ve now been in Jersey for 12 days spending time with a lot of loved ones. My weekdays mornings and afternoons have been kind of normal in that I’m working from home, only instead of having my dog Harley by my side and being in my own home, I’m working from my parents’ and have this new puppy as my companion:
Her name is Jada, and my parents rescued her a couple of weeks ago from what we suspect may have been a dogfighting situation. She’s a puppy somewhere around 6 months old, and her and I have become the best of friends. She’s a very sweet girl and a big cuddler, and I’ve been working on helping my parents start to train her. Dog abuse and neglect situations break my heart, and I’m glad that Jada will have a lifetime full of snuggles with loving human beings and a cozy bed away from any harm!
Besides hanging with my parents at their house, I’ve also gotten to hang out with my other immediate family. One day I went pumpkin picking with my nephews, brothers, and their significant others:
My youngest nephew Danny has gotten so much bigger since I saw him in May!
And a couple of times I’ve babysat my two oldest nephews, Brayden and Bryce, with my mom. Brayden, who just turned 3, is hysterical and says the funniest things. A few Brayden-isms from the past week:
- While watching me work out to a Jillian Michaels DVD: “Why are those girls doing that? They look silly.” (probably true)
- Overheard when he was talking to my mom: “Me like Nikki [my family all calls me Nikki or Nik]. She flew on an airplane to come see me?”
- While hanging out in my room while I’m getting ready: “Are we going to do your makeup now?”
- On me getting to NJ via an airplane: “In the sky? Well where is the airplane now? Where did it go?”
He’s so damn cute.
My nights and weekends have been filled with get togethers with girlfriends and family. From brunch with my aunt at my favorite breakfast place around my hometown, to catching up with my oldest friend Ashley over pizza and wine, I have been eating, drinking and laughing a lot! Here are a couple of my trip highlights so far:
I had dinner with my two close friends in our college stomping grounds of Montclair at an Italian restaurant called Fascino. There were polenta fries, sweet corn and marscapone ravioli, fig and kale salad with potato croquettes, apple crostata with cinnamon ice cream, a peanut butter mousse dessert, and plenty of wine:
In Cali every little place has a liquor license, whereas in Jersey not that many places can sell alcohol. This restaurant was BYOB, and it made me remember how much I like bringing my own wine!
Last weekend I had a girls’ night out with my girlfriends Meaghan and Danielle. We started off the night at Danielle’s with Moscow Mules – which we made with ginger beer, which was funny because I normally don’t like beer at all, but these were so yummy! – and appetizers for dinner:
And then we went into Hoboken and bar hopped around and pretty much danced the night away. The night ended with a 3:30 AM snack of veggie chips and hummus while laughing about the night’s happenings, and I know that I ate way too much of them since I literally couldn’t get my rings on my fingers the next day… Hello fat sodium-filled fingers! I didn’t sleep nearly enough and lost my voice from chatting over the loud music, but it was so great to have a girls’ night with them. 🙂
I also got to visit my friend Maria’s new house and have brunch with her the next morning….
Is vegetarian chili with cheddar and cornbread considered good hangover food? Because on this day it hit the spot and made me feel a bit better!
There has also been some time spent in the kitchen. I’ve made spaghetti squash casserole, pumpkin banana bread, apple chips, and salted caramel granola bars, to name a few things:
While I know that I’ll be more than ready to get back to drinking more green juice than cocktails when I get back to Cali next week, I’m having a blast wining & dining all over the place and seeing people I haven’t seen in awhile. Tomorrow night I’m heading into NYC for some fun with Danielle, and my hubby flies into Newark on Friday, then we’re off to a wedding weekend in PA, so my remaining days of my trip are definitely going to be even more fun!
Question: Ladies, when/what was the last girls’ night/outing you had? Drinkers, what’s your current favorite cocktail?
FUN!!! Your nephew is sooooo adorable! Also I love that Chevron dress you are rocking!
It’s been awhile since I’ve had a girl’s night out…or any night out really! Haha. It’s all good though.
I want that fig and kale salad!
Looks like there has been so much good food in your life lately!! I’m glad to see that it looks like you’re having a wonderful time visiting home.
Looks like you’re having a wonderful time! Time with family and friends is so very precious. And that dog! Those ears! Love her!
Aww fun!! Both Jada and your nephews are sooo cute! (Where DO planes go after they drop me off at my destination- the story is not over 🙂 ) and funny you should ask, I just scheduled a girls night on halloween actually (not on purpose- just the only time we could make it work! so that’ll be a fun night) and my current drink of choice is red wine. tis the season and all 🙂
Aw cutest kid ever! I have been loving Moscow mules too recently! They’re delicious! I had one made with pear vodka and it kicked butt! All that food looks to die for – polenta fries? How interesting! And that pb mousse….good lord that looks delicious!!
Ooooh that sounds deeeeelish! I need to start making creative drinks like that at home.
Sounds like you have had a great time in NJ!! Glad you are getting to spend so much time with family and friends.
I always come home hoarse after a night out with friends- I don’t talk very loud and in order to be heard at a bar or over a band I have to really work at it:)
I know right? I hate how loud it is in bars sometimes! It’s like I’m not going out to not speak with my friends the entire night, so I’d rather talk and then have a hoarse throat the next day haha
It looks like you’ve had an amazing trip, girly! So much cuteness between the puppy and your nephew.
I’m surprised to hear a lot of places don’t have a liquor license in NJ but I think it’s pretty sweet that you can bring your own wine. I’m sure it saves a ton of money.
And that chili looks like the perfect hangover cure! Yum.
Thanks Sarah!
Yup, I think there are a limited number of liquor licenses in NJ and they’re pricey to get. When I moved to Cali I was shocked to see that every tiny hole in the wall restaurant serves liquor! And hard liquor in food stores? Never in Jersey!
OMG, what a sweet baby puppy. How wonderful of your parents to give her a loving home. She’s a sweetie.
Thanks, Carrie! She is such a cutie.
AW FAMILY TIME!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE 🙂
And the last girls night – SUSHI BABY! It’s ALWAYS SUSHI!! HA AH!
I’m not a big drinker, but BYOB to a restaurant sounds like fun! It also sounds WAY cheaper which I love. Last time I went out to “party” was over a year ago. I’m a bit of a hermit after dark. 🙂
YES, SO much cheaper to BYOB! It’s ridiculous how much they up charge for booze in restaurants/bars.
Sounds like you’re having a great trip! Your nephew is so so cute and sounds hilarious – I love kids’ commentary haha.
Oh yea, he says the craziest stuff! Last time I was home he kept talking about “doobies” (ya know, boobies!) hahaha awkwardddd!
Yum! Those food pics look great, are we getting the recipe for those salted caramel granola bars?
haha 🙂
I modified the granola bar recipe from Oh My Veggies! It’s an awesome veg food site that you should check out if you aren’t familiar 🙂