Archives for December 2012

Puppy Time!!!!!

December 30, 2012

Price and I have been talking about getting a dog for a while. Most of the conversations have been big picture convos like ‘oh wouldn’t it be fun to have a dog bring on this hike?!?’ or ‘look at this puppy! we should get one soon.’ Things started to get more real once we bought our house since we would not have to worry about a puppy in a 1-bedroom rental with lots of attached neighbors above and below.

So things really started to come together within the last 2 months as we narrowed down breeds that we liked. We really wanted to get a French Bulldog but their 2K+ price tag was not going to allow that. In the end we decided on getting a Boston Terrier because of their size, temperament, grooming needs, and their overall adorableness. I found a reputable local breeder that had puppies born on December 10th, meaning the puppies would be available to take home in February… SQUEEE!!!

Well, we went to meet the 3 week old puppies yesterday. O.M.G!!! So cute. We got to see all 9 Boston Terrier puppies, as well as some pug and french bulldog puppies. The big mama had 6 females and 3 males so we had plenty of pups to snuggle with.

In the end we put a deposit down for a male. We were the first ones there so we have first pick of which male to take home. We have the opportunity to come hang with them again before we take one home so we’ll have to see how their personalities develop. Plus it will be fun to see them grow over time. I just can’t wait!!!!

The best is that when we came home our clothes still had that great puppy smell to them. I am a total sucker for that.

More cute updates to come!!

Thirsty Thursday: Raspberry Honey Bellini

December 27, 2012

What are your New Year’s plans? We are planning on enjoying a dinner out and Boston’s First Night Activities. We typically stay in to relax and enjoy some fondue or sushi but are hoping to go if the weather holds up. I’m hoping we can get some tacos at The Rattlesnake or some dim sum in Chinatown. Plus, looking forward to checking out the ice sculptures along Boylston and the fireworks on Boston Harbor.

Discoll’s reached out to me so I could have some fun using their berries to create something to celebrate the holidays. They have the freshest berries that are enjoyable on their own or incorporated into recipes. I knew immediately that I wanted to use their raspberries since they are always so fresh. Plus after we once went raspberry picking I’ve had great appreciation for just how hard it is to pick and transport raspberries as they are just so very delicate. So I started to brainstorm how to use their raspberries in a fun celebration drink to ring the new year, or just drink at any time.

A bellini is a cocktail of Italian heritage that was created by Giuseppe Cipriani, founder of Harry’s Bar in Venice, Italy. The hue reminded him of a piece of artwork from Giovanni Bellini, which is how it got the name Bellini. While a classic bellini uses Persecco and peach puree, I decided that swapping out the peach for raspberry. Then I added some honey to sweeten up the raspberries and the dry Persecco. Refreshing to sip on to ring in the new year or to enjoy the day while making a great homemade brunch.

What are your plans for New Year’s Eve? Staying in or going out?

Raspberry Honey Bellini

Makes 6 cocktails

Ingredients

12 oz fresh raspberries, 12 raspberries reserved
2 tablespoons honey
1 bottle (750-ml) chilled Prosecco

Process

To make the puree: blend the washed raspberries with the honey. Strain the puree through a sieve to remove the seeds.
To make the cocktail: pour 2 tablespoons of the raspberries puree into the champagne flute then fill with Prosecco. Float 2 raspberries in the glass prior to serving.

Peppermint Fudge

December 24, 2012

What happens when you have to stop by someone’s house last minute on Christmas Eve or on Christmas? What makes a great hostess gift? It should be festive! Something easy for you is the best. Hmm, do you rip the centerpiece off your own table to bring? You can’t re-gift an opened box of chocolates. So you make this last minute Peppermint Fudge to have on hand to gift, or just eat yourself.

Family Fun Magazine has some really cute holiday baking ideas that will have both you and everyone you are celebrating with so merry! The peppermint fudge sounded too good to pass up. Plus it had peppermint candies in there so I had to end my holiday baking season with peppermint as I’ve been addicted with the mint and chocolate combo this year.

If you can use a microwave and mix things in a bowl you can make this fudge. This is the perfect recipe to whip up yourself or to make with your kids.

Peppermint Fudge

Ingredients

24 ounces of while chocolate chips
14 ounce can of condensed milk
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups coursly crushed peppermint candies, such as candy canes

Process

Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper. There should be excess parchment hanging out of the pan, which provides handles for removal.
In a medium sized bowl, combined the white chocolate chips, condensed milk, and salt. Microwave for 2-3 minutes, stiring at 30 second intervals. Add the peppermint candies and mix to combine.
Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan.
Chill for firm and set, about 2 hours. Remove from the pan and then cut into 1″- square pieces.

Thirsty Thursday: Homemade Eggnog

December 20, 2012

homemade eggnog

One thing that I’ve always wanted to do at the holidays is make eggnog. I really love eggnog but it really is a treat. I figured this year I wouldn’t have any until I made it to make sure I don’t over indulge and I would actually get around to making it. It was so easy and so good that I’ll be making it again when I go back home to Connecticut for Christmas.

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I recently saw this article in The New York Times about eggnog, making it, and comparing store-bought eggnog vs homemade. The author felt that a cooked custard eggnog has better taste and texture than a typical eggnog that does not completely cook the eggs. I’m not too worried about eating raw eggs as I’ve had them in cocktails and eat runny eggs just about every weekend so I could have gone with an quick eggnog but I wanted to focus on making one that really tasted awesome.

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I really enjoyed the process of making this eggnog, although I immediately goofed on the directions. Nothing major but I put in all 4 cups of milk into the sauce pan instead of just 2. I just kept going from there. Cooking the eggnog took the most time and attention so it will cook slowly and evenly. It took about 20 minutes for the milk, egg, sugar mixture to get thick enough. I was aiming for just a bit thinner than being thick enough for the back of the spoon test since eggnog is pretty thick.

While the author remarked that she prefers a dark rum with her eggnog I used bourbon as that was in the house. I used the 1 1/2 cups that was called for, which resulted in an eggnog with a real kick. If you prefer a more subtle flavor then I suggest mixing in 1 cup first and tasting it at that point.

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Since eggnog is not a fan always a favorite, Amanda brings an Eggnog Quick Bread to this week’s Thirsty Thursday. Hey, just because it’s not a drink doesn’t mean it doesn’t count! It uses a great bevie to flavor it! So festive and creative.

Homemade Eggnog

Serves 8

Ingredients

4 cups whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
5 large eggs, separated
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups bourbon
Whole nutmeg

Process

In a medium sized saucepan, heat 4 cups milk over medium low heat. Do not boil and stir occasionally so it does not burn. Turn off the heat.
In a mixing bowl, combine the the sugar into the egg yolks and whisk until thick and pale.
Whisk 1 cup of the warm milk into the egg and sugar mixture. Slowly add the warm egg sugar mixture into the rest of the milk in the saucepan. Put over low heat again, stir regularly until the milk mixture has thickened. Turn off the heat and then quickly stir in the cream.
Put a bowl inside another bowl bowl and fill the space between with ice water. Add the milk mixture to the bowl and stir occasionally, until chilled. When completely chilled, stir into a punch bowl and add rum.
Beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks and then fold them into the eggnog. Top each serving of the eggnog with freshly grated nutmeg.

Peppermint Chip Brownies

December 19, 2012

Peppermint Chip Brownies will get you in the season with the irresistible combination of mint and chocolate flavors. Be sure to make some for Santa too!

post from 12/19/12, pictures updated 12/9/18

Post Contains Affiliate Links. Read my full disclosure HERE

I’ve been such a horrible slacker this holiday season. I am behind with everything, but really, I think I always am. So, no difference than the norm then! ha!

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Perfect Penne alla Vodka

December 18, 2012

Perfect Penne alla Vodka will be on your table in under 30 minutes tonight. Create this flavorful dinner any night of the week. You’ll love every single bite.

Post Originally from 12/18/12, Pictures updated 2/21/19

Post Contains Affiliate Links. Read my full disclosure HERE

I always felt that ordering Penne alla Vodka was a big fancy move when I was out to dinner. It just felt so fancy to me. Alla Vodka. That sounded fancy when I was 15 or so. Plus, vodka… hello… it felt like it was a big deal to get it, even with all the alcohol cooking out of it.

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Giant Peanut Butter and Pretzel M&M’s Cookies

December 16, 2012

My candy stash is getting out of control. I’m trying to use them up so I can buy more, obviously. Lately my focus has been M&M’s candies. M&M’s are awesome in general, but lately they have been coming up with great flavor combinations. Cinnamon M&M’s are great in oatmeal cookies and coconut are just great for snacking. I was a little puzzled with what to do with some pretzel M&M’s that I had.

The best thing to do is to start browsing Pinterest for ideas. There are so many great ideas at your finger tips. All of those great desserts gave me so many different ideas. In the end I decided that I would make a peanut butter cookie and add the pretzel M&M’s. Pretzels and peanut butter are a great combo and peanut butter and chocolate is a great combo, and well basically it would all come together nicely.

I made a special trip to my construction site just to bring some to one of my site supervisors. He is moving on to another project next week and I am crushed. We have worked together on this project for over a year. It’s to the point when we pick up each other’s phone calls we are really understand the real meaning of the call even when we can’t say it. Ahh never ending construction stress. So the next 3 months of the project will be tough but I’m just glad that I enjoyed the last 15 months of early mornings, long conference calls, and plenty of hilarious hair pulling situations that have resulted in some great boozy lunches. So in thanks I will be bringing him some treats featuring peanut butter, since it is his favorite.

Giant Peanut Butter and Pretzel M&M’s Cookies

Makes 16 3-inch cookies

Ingredients

2 stick of unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup of crunchy peanut butter
2 cups self rising flour
9.9 ounce bag of pretzel M&M’s

Process

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla extract until blended. Mix the peanut butter until completely incorporated. Add the flour until just blended. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the M&M’s candies.
Drop very large scoops of dough, approximately 1/4 cup, onto the parchment paper leaving plenty of room between the cookies to allow for spreading.
Bake cookies until the edges are starting to brown and the cookies have set, approximately 18 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 2 minutes on the baking sheet prior to removing to cool on a wire rack.

Stuffed on Steak: Fogo De Chao- Boston, MA

December 14, 2012

Are you looking for a new restaurant to try this weekend? Do you deserve a really great night out? Do you love steak?

If you think that you fulfill any of those things then you need to check out Fogo De Chao, a churrascaria, in Copley Square as soon as you can!!

Last month I attended the grand opening of Fogo de Chao, the new Brazilian Steakhouse located at the Westin Hotel that has your mouth-watering once you walk in the door. The smell of freshly seared steak, chicken, sausage, and lamb was the perfect perfume hanging in the air.

Fogo De Chao_Boston_04

The Caipirinha is Brazil’s national cocktail. I had the pleasure of enjoying the combination of cachaça (a sugar cane rum), sugar, and lime that make up this cocktail. The cocktail goes down easily as it is so sweet so you better watch out that you don’t have too many.

Fogo De Chao_Boston_06

As soon as we walked in Price and I remarked how amazing the space is. We have been to other Brazilian Barbecue restaurants before but this was the first one that was really stunning. I was quiet enamored with the lights.

Centrally located, the salad bar is packed full of fresh greens, smoked meats, a variety of cheeses, and much, much more. I wish I took more photos of the 30 plus options available but I didn’t want to hold up the line as everyone was dying to dig right in. But I could not miss taking a picture of a bowl full of bacon!

In addition to the salad bar there is an adjacent hot food bar that served things like rice and beans that would pare perfectly with your meal.

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I tried to only select a few things from the salad bar that I would really enjoy so I would not fill up but the options seemed endless. I really enjoyed everything I picked from the fresh mozzarella, steamed asparagus, hot peppers, and prosciutto. My favorite things were the sun-dried tomatoes since they were so flavorful and soft. I had the best intentions of going back to the hot bar to sample the rice and beans there but I ended up getting too full to go back.

As small as they were the pão de queijos were one of my favorite things about the meal. Small puffs of cheesy bread were served to accompany the meal. They were light and airy, with a crunchy exterior, and, of course, packed with cheese. I might have been tempted to throw a few in my purse, but I didn’t. I swear!

The only thing that I didn’t think was stunning were the plate of fried bananas, fried polenta, and mashed potatoes that the servers, which are known as Passadores in Brazil and called meat gauchos at Fogo De Chao, brought to the table. The bananas were delicious but the polenta and mashed potatoes were a little too plain for my preference. Also since we were so distracted by all of the meat available we ignored these for a bit and they all got cold. I just didn’t feel these were necessary to enjoy the meal.

Once we were seated after our trip to the salad bar we were ready for the gauchos to come around and start delivering a variety of different meats to us. The service was top notch and very knowledgeable on all of the different cuts of suculant meats you could enjoy. Fogo De Chao offers different cuts of beef, chicken, and lamb. The signature meat is the Picanha, which is a top sirloin cut of meat that is very popular in the churrascarias of Southern Brazil. This was available in a traditional light seasoning or a garlicky seasoning.

True love. The gauchos would ask you how you would prefer the meat to done and based upon where the meat was located along the skewer you would have a different degree of done-ness. I prefer rare to medium rare so they would rotate the skewer until they had the right piece in front of them to slice off and I would grab it with my little tong to enjoy.

This plate is true love to me.

My favorite cuts were the garlicky Picanha, Filet Mignon, Fraldinha, and Linguica. The Filet was an easy favorite as it was so tender it just about melted in your mouth. I prefered the Fraldinha, the bottom cut of the sirloin, over the Beef Ancho, the rib eye, only because I tend to like less marbled pieces of meat. I loved the Linguica as it was so flavorful and the exterior was very crisp from the rotisserie, which helped seal in the juices.

The only thing I did not get to try that I was looking forward to was the chicken but I think everything else more than makes up for that.

The biggest thing to remember is to pace yourself so use the GO and STOP cards they give you. Flip them over to tell the servers if they should come by the table or not. While it is completely acceptable to stuff yourself silly on all the different delicious meats you should try to save room for dessert. We had to keep reminding ourselves that.

We decided on getting the signature dessert which is the Fogo de Chão Signature Papaya Cream. This is a dish that is made with ripe papayas and ice cream. They use fresh, ripe papayas to blend with ice cream to create a very rich fruity dessert. This was a really good treat as it was so rich.

Of course we had to have some Creme de Cassis on top!

South American Flan was the real winner to us. Our server told us they make it daily on site and it is one of the top desserts. We thought the texture was light, creamy and very delicate. I could not get over the amount of vanilla specks that were visible in the caramel part of the custard. I would go back just for this.

Fogo De Chao is a special place to go to when you want to really enjoy a unique steakhouse meal. Dinner is $46.50 (Salad Bar Only – $22.50) so this is not a place to go for a casual dinner. A dinner out will cost you at least $60 a person and you will be so stuffed on very rich food you might want this to be for a nice occassion. Be sure to eat light before hand so you can really enjoy everything that is twirled around your table. And be sure to save room for dessert!

Fogo De Chao – Boston

200 Dartmouth St.

Boston, MA 02116

617.585.6300

*While I did recieive a complimentary brunch from Fogo De Chao these opinions are entirely my own.

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Thanks for visiting. Please leave me a comment to provide some feedback. I appreciate all the comments I receive.

December Daily 2012- days 1 thru 10

December 13, 2012

Here we go again!

Well, last year I had the best intentions for sticking with my December Daily but stopped when I dropped my Instax Camera in NYC a third of the way through the month. I could have kept going but I wanted to use just the Instax pics for the album and I was super bummed. I liked the look and I liked that it was instant so there is no excuse not to keep up since I didn’t have to worry about printing. Well, then I went and broke the camera and hit a road block. I might go back and just print out pics for the rest of the month incluing the srory about breaking my camera- hense the switch in picture styles, which will forever drive me crazy.

So I got another Instax and have let to break it so the month is going along smoothly. Well, I did drop it at our Christmas Party this past thursday and it’s still kicking so here’s hoping it lasts for the rest of the month and beyond. (But really, what the hell is wrong with me cropping cameras?!) I really love the quirky camera and the pictures from it so I love having the album of just these pictures.

DecDaily2012_day 1a

-Day 1-

DecDaily2012_day 2

-Day 2-

I am trying to keep things pretty simple with my December Daily by keeping the embellishments minimal. I purchased the DecDaily kit that Kelly Purkey created so I am using all of the papers in the kit, plus a few other solids since I want to continue on past xmas for the whole month. Her kit inlcuded a stamp set, some buttons (2012 on the cover), gold doilies and some alpha stickers. To that I am using lots of washi and some of other embellishments I keep around for winter themed scrapbooking.

DecDaily2012_day 3a

– Day 3-

DecDaily2012_day 4a

-Day 4-

DecDaily2012_day 5

– Day 5-

This page is boring to me, maybe I’ll add to it or maybe I’ll forget about it. ha

DecDaily2012_day 6

– Day 6-

DecDaily2012_day 7

– Day 7-

DecDaily2012_day 8

-Day 8-

I really am jealous of the people that have really beautiful December Daily albums that are loaded with photos, notes, embellishments, and all that jazz but I have to just enjoy that mine is all mine and I am doing things my way, at my pace. If I were to try to tackle more I wouldn’t be done with page 1 so I am savorying that I am 1 third of the way through and I am still enthuastic about it.

DecDaily2012_day 9

-Day 9-

DecDaily2012_day 10

-Day 10-

I can’t wait to keep going through the rest of the month. I am really enjoying my December Daily photos and the album. So much fun!

Peppermint Hot Chocolate Truffle Balls

December 13, 2012

Amanda picked peppermint for this week’s theme Thirsty Thursday. I honestly can’t stand peppermint outside of the holidays. However, from the day after Thanksgiving to New Years it is full on peppermint explosion. But then nope, not happening at all (with the ice cream exception)!!! So bare with all of my minty recipes now, including this recipe for Peppermint Hot Chocolate Truffle Balls.

When I was younger I would take Godiva hot chocolate truffles and put them into cups of hot milk and stir like crazy so melty ribbons of chocolate would swirl around the cup before I would take a big gulp. It was my favorite thing to do at my dad’s house at the holidays. Since I made a hot chocolate mix last week I figured I would make a hot chocolate truffle for this week to transport me back in time.

While you can make these hot chocolate truffle balls like me with peppermint extract and Andes Peppermint Mint Chips on the outside, you can make them in a variety of ways.

A plain truffle would be nice with a sugar and cocoa powder mixture on the outside.
A truffle with some cinnamon extract and a cinnamon and cayenne mixture on the outside for a Mexican hot chocolate.
Use a orange, hazelnut, or raspberry extract without coating. Really the flavor possibilities are endless!!

I hope that you enjoy my Hot Chocolate Truffles as well as Amanda’s Peppermint White Hot Chocolate. The peppermint and chocolate combination is such a hit that we both featured the peppermint in hot chocolates, but in very fun, very different ways.

Peppermint Hot Chocolate Truffle Balls

Makes 12 truffles

Ingredients

12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
Andes Peppermint Crunch Chips

Process

In a heavy bottom sauce pan or in a double boiler, melt the chocolate, cream, sugar, and salt together on low heat. Whisk consistently until smooth. Add the peppermint extract prior to removing from heat.
Let the chocolate cool to room temperature and then put into the refrigerator to completely chill.
Once solid, scope out into 12 truffle balls onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Chill again for at least 30 minutes.
Roll the chocolate into balls, then chill again until completely solid and formed.
Push the Andes mint chips into the surface of the ball. Stone in the refrigerator for 1 week.
Enjoy your hot chocolate truffle with 8 ounces of hot milk. Drop the truffle in and stir until the ball has melted.

Sausage, Lentil, and Kale Soup

December 12, 2012

Sausage, Lentil, and Kale Soup is a healthy, hearty soup that will leave you satisfied inside & out. You’ll love the flavors and textures from the lentils and kale. A sprinkling of cheese and a drizzle of olive oil will make each bite a perfect 10!

Post from 12/12/12, pictures updated 7/7/18

I’ve been in this crazy cooking and baking mode lately. It feels inspiring and fun. I love it so much!!

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Austin Hit List {2012}

December 11, 2012

Over Labor Day weekend (how long ago?!?!) Price and I went to Austin to visit our friends Natalie and Jason, and their 2 cats and new puppy. We hated that they moved back to Austin after 2 years in Boston so we had to see them again and the city that pulled them back.

{Friday}

Price and I got up at 4.30 in the morning to get ready, feed the buns, & get to the airport for our early morning flight. I hate early morning flights being that I tend to stay up super late so we can finish packing, clean the kitchen, clean the rabbits’ cage, and then I get all sorts of busy with rushing to finish work stuff I will be missing and then I get sucked into the blogging hole to post things while gone. Ugh. And yet, I love to get up early to start vacatin as early as possible. Plus seeing the sunrise at the airport is so lovely.

Jason picked us up at the airport and then we get Natalie and wham bam full on intro some great food to Chuy’s. Oh so much food! Such good food! Limitless chips with our queso. Their green chili season was in full swing so I got one of their specials. ah-mazing.

After splitting up for some errands and some naps back at the house we were all geared up to get ready to go out in Austin.

We met up with Natalie and Jason’s friends Ashley and Zack at the South Austin Trailer Park and Eatery. We had dinner from one of the food trucks parked in the lot. We split some queso and chips and enjoyed some fantastic tacos from Torchy’s Tacos. Each tacos was in the $3-4 range which made for a great affordable meal before going out drinking at the Rainey Street bars.

We missed the bats but caught a really cool sunset.

We first went to Lustre Pearl where we sat in a front room that had peeling plaster walls and a fireplace. Little candles around the crate box side tables and books on the fireplace mantel made the space feel charming and relaxing it. We found the Book of Mormon. It made my night.

We then went to Bar 96 to have some more drinks, sit outside, and play games. They had frozen mojitos. Sooo good. I def need to make some of these myself.

The night was gorgeous so we hung out back playing corn hole and a massive jenga. Plus they had a massive projector onto a shed!

Lastly, we went to Clive Bar for our lost stop. It was really casual with seating outside. We managed to get a table, which were hard to come by, so major score!

What do you do after you have had plenty to drink? You get Whataburger! So we stopped there on the way home and got some take out. Price loved the burger and I loved the Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit that Natalie and Jason picked for me because I am so indecisive. Let me repeat… Honey.Butter.Chicken.Biscuit. At that very moment I didn’t care about the calories. It was heavenly. Absolutely heavenly.

{Saturday}

Everything is bigger in Texas, right? Well, while Jason nursed a hangover, Natalie took Price and me to a huge grocery store called H-E-B. There was a kiosk where fresh hand made corn tortillas were being made. I wanted to get a back just because but really had no point since Natalie and Jason were planning on taking us to some great places to eat while we were visiting.

Post grocery store run we went to Rudy’s BBQ for some take out. They were so nice and welcoming there! Such a different attitude from the Northeast- which is really hard to get used to for me. They put a piece of wax paper in front of us and asked us what we would like to try as it was out first visit. We sampled the different kinds of brisket and the jalapeno sausage, which was my favorite. Also a favorite… the new potatoes which we figured they slice and then boil in a combination of water and butter making them so GD amazing (and fattening).

I got really excited for Dr Pepper and Coke with real sugar.

As well as getting to enjoy Happy Hour!

We could not get enough of Happy Hour when we were in Austin, so when we went out after Rudy’s and relaxing to check out Austin by UT we first had to stop at Sonic. I could get used to that!

When we were outside the campus store the real life mascot went by. People went crazy for Bevo.

And I went crazy for Whole Foods!!! We went to the Whole Foods flagship store (not the original store) and I fell in love. From the green wall at the entry to the trail mix bar to the wine bar in the store. I could have spent all day there. For real.

Back home we napped again. Seriously, I could not get enough naps. It was so nice just to be able to relax and catch up on sleep from out insane on the go summer.

We had dinner at their neighbors Sara and Andrew’s house. Sara is a super talented graphic designer who owns Stationary Bakery. I need this rabbit print and this mermaid card she made. Anyway, we all had a great time eating, drinking, and watching the Longhorns game while the dogs went crazy playing with each other.

{Sunday}

Natalie and Jason were up in the middle of the night dealing with a sick pup! Poor Zoey had an allergic reaction to something and her cute little pup face swelled right up! awww!! So they took her to the vet in the middle of the night. Such good puppy parents!

Well, when Price and I stumbled downstairs after a full night of sleep they were ready for some breakfast so Jason and Pricer went to Tacodeli for some breakfast taco takeout. Which turned out to be the best idea ever. I don’t know what I would do if there every happened to be a Tacodeli in Boston. I would be their number one customer. I loved the fresh ingredients and creative combinations of tacos. As well as their fresh agua frescas.

What better way to spend the morning than getting pedicures and going shopping. But not just getting pedicures, getting boozey pedicures. I could get used to that! Oh no, wait, I can’t since Mass has super strict alcohol laws and I can’t ever imagine finding a nail salon serving wine. (if you know of one, please let me know asap) So, Texas you win that round.

I think the buns would approve! I wanted to get these from Antropologie.

And then off to the quintessential stop in Austin… SoCo, which is an area of South Congress Street that is filled with great shops and restaurants. It is a great place to wander around to check out shops like Uncommon Objects, where I got a really cool glass, and Creatures Boutique, where Pricer got a pair of bunny earrings for me. Love.

We had lunch at Magnolia Cafe, which has been featured on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. Since just about every meal we had involved getting queso Price and I split the Flamingo Sandwich, avocado, tomato, sprouts, and swiss on grilled whole wheat. totally worth it since it meant more room for queso. Why does queso have to be so good!?!?

As much as we were full from lunch we headed over to Amy’s Ice Creams after we left SoCo. Glad we did go since the had fantastic ice cream as well as did this AWESOME thing where they scooped the ice cream and then flung it up in the air and caught it on the cone. I would fail miserably at that part of the job.

For the rest of the day we hung out at home watching TV and movies including Snow White and the Huntsman. Which I am surprised I enjoyed let alone I survived since I hate Kristin Stewart. Seriously, did she just smell a fart always?

And then Natalie and Jason invited friends and neighbors over and we played ‘Cards Against Humanity’ and ‘Drawception’. They are my new favorite games. We were all dying at the outrageous card combos in Cards Against Humanity (imagine Apples to Apples but for awful people). And then watching Drawception breakdown over the 3rd person was the best. I really wish I had kept those cards.

{Monday}

In the morning we went to Stand Up Paddle Boarding. I really wish I had photos of this as it was a total blast. It was great to try something new and to be on the water on the hot day. Jason and I managed to stay up the entire time (I got a super big board so I think it prevented me from falling) while Natalie and Pricer fell in. But no worries, very refreshing on a hot day.

Next stop… Tacodeli! Obviously. This time we sat down and had a massive lunch since we skipped breakfast, which was just perfect to me.

We hung out at home for the rest of the day. Of course we had a nap. 🙂 We also watched Men in Black 3 and the guys went out for a Sonic Happy Hour run. And we rounded out the night with watching Contagion which has scared the shit out of me and I can’t stop washing my hands since then.

{Tuesday}

A pretty relaxed day as Natalie went back to work and Jason worked at home. I watched the Hunger Games further instilling my love for the series, as well as my annoyance that they changed the end of the damn movies from the book. Plus we had some puppy time with Zoey.

Natalie came home at lunch since she worked close enough to go back and forth. It was great to get to see her one last time. Plus she brought us a fantastic lunch from Urban Picnic. I had the BLT with Blue Cheese Mayo sandwich, which I need to start making all the time since it was pretty incredible.

For the rest of the afternoon. Price and I lounged around savoring the last of our vacation. I watched more episodes of The Newsroom becoming a major addict. There might also have been some day drinking.

And then we were back in Boston. Back to reality.

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We loved getting to spend time with our friends Natalie and Jason!!! We had so much fun and got to have plenty of time just to relax. It was great to visit a new place and eat the most amazing food as well. Queso… I love you.

Plus they have the coolest pets!