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My blog is back. . . I think! It has been quite the frustrating week, with the blog and my business website being hacked while I was in Rome. There was little we could do from there; I wasn’t about to spend the three days we had in Rome on fishing out bad blog code. Instead we immensely enjoyed Italy and Ireland, and my superhero husband took care of the blog when we returned.

I have at least 10 blog posts whirling in my head, but I thought I would start with a favorite, the place we stayed for the majority of our time in Italy.

As you already likely know, my husband is from Galway, Ireland. Years ago, while in university, one of his older brothers met a beautiful Italian student who was studying in Galway. Through the years they married, moved to Boston, had a precious little boy, and then moved back to Italy and the village where my now sister-in-law grew up. They have since added another adorable boy, and while it’s difficult for us to live so far away from them, when we do get to visit the paradise they live in, there’s nothing better.

Marche

Their village is located in Marche on the Adriatic coast of Italy a little over two hours from Rome. We arrived at night, drove through mountainous roads and went to sleep almost instantly, waking up to these views, right out their back door.

Marche

My sister-in-law’s mother, uncle, and aunt also live on the property, which is located at the top of a hill and features terraced gardens that, during growing season, are full of vegetables and fruit.

Marche

Even at the end of November, there were almonds, olives, pears, lemons, and limes.

almonds

olives

Just up the hill from the house is a small piazza, with a towering church (where my BIL and SIL got married) as its focal point.

Marche

Marche

Almost everything in the square prompted me to take photos. I felt like every door, railing, and tile was a piece of art; that’s Italy for you.

Marche

Colli del Tronto

While we enjoyed lots of great food while in Rome, the very best food we had in Italy was at home. My sister-in-law and her mother cooked for us several times a day, and everything was delicious perfection. Chicken cutlets, simple fried potatoes, bread with newly pressed, fruity olive oil, and pasta were devoured, each bite full of flavor, quality, and love. We sipped on homemade limoncello cream after dinner, ate freshly baked berry crostata with our afternoon coffee, and played with our nephews in between to burn a little of it off.

  Just about everything we ate was homemade or grown, and we loved it all, especially local specialties like the frito misto all’ Ascolana. Fried local olives stuffed with meat and seasoned with lemon juice are some of the best bites I have eaten, and little clouds of custard added a sweet contrast to the rest of the meal.

olives alla ascolana

We were treated to homemade vin cotto, boiled wine, that is stored right at home in a barrel that contains wine from 1912. Each year they top it up with new wine; while enjoying a sip of this strong, slightly sweet wine and a bite of wine-soaked biscotti, we were drinking 100 years of family history.

vin cotto

Our warm and loving hosts provided the perfect backdrop for exploring Marche and Abruzzo; they certainly made us feel like we have a home in Italy, and we’re already planning our next visit.

Tags: family, Food, Italy, Marche, Travel, wine

It’s often said that absence makes the heart grow fonder, and when it comes to my home state, it’s definitely true. New Jersey gets a bad rap for all sorts of things, something I never really got when living there. We have beautiful beaches, mountains, farms, and access to New York City. I always thought it was just fine. But the more time I spend away, the more I want to visit. That definitely is mostly because of my family which has grown over the years to include my two favorite little people on the planet. I don’t think I would want to live there again, but I sure do like to visit.

My work schedule for the month of July and August this year is slow. There are exciting things on the horizon for Autumn, but for now, I have a little bit of time on my hands. Knowing that will change, I decided to spend this week working half days from my mom’s, spending the rest of the day making time for family.

When in New Jersey. . . you obviously have to hit up the Jersey Shore. Before the show, the shore was just a place I went my whole life. Since watching the show, I now pay more attention to my surroundings. There were lots of Snooki’s favorite “juiceheads” aka, super tan, super big and built, guys there this week.

Point Pleasant

The Jersey Shore holds fond memories for me from early ages, visits to Stone Harbor and Sandy Hook with my mom and later with friends. Prom weekend trips to Seaside Heights and Wildwood, and later nights out on the boardwalk, followed by dancing at Tradewinds, Jenkinson’s, and the Tiki Bar.

Tiki Bar
Kohr's Custard
Kohr's Custard image

Kohr’s Custard, soft, super creamy frozen custard, is one of my favorite sweets of all time.

Point Pleasant Boardwalk

Clowns were creepy then, and they are now.

Jersey Shore

But boardwalk food like fried zeppoles, funnel cake, and cotton candy can’t be beat. Jersey Shore fashion is pretty great too. . .

Jersey Shore

Pizza in New Jersey is just better than anything I have eaten in Boston. At Joey Tomatoes, I went with the cheese-less option, nicely topped with a thick tomato paste.

Point Pleasant pizza

And a trip to the Point Pleasant Aquarium is a cool, dark escape from the boardwalk, fun for kids and adults.

Point Pleasant Aquarium

New Jersey also offers lots of beautiful lakes and ponds. One day brought us to Spruce Run Recreation Area for lake swimming.

Spruce Run

When in New Jersey, you should check out some of the pretty green spaces and swimming holes. There are lots of them.

Spruce Run

When in New Jersey, I also really, really love local produce. We have the best in sweet corn, blueberries, and tomatoes, and I enjoyed those at my mom’s, plus a delicious heirloom tomato Caprese salad at Stage House Tavern.

heirloom tomatoes

Stage House Tavern is a new favorite of mine, and this pork tenderloin with figs, bacon, gorgonzola, and veggies was divine. A little too autumnal for my current summery tastes, but still. . .

Stage House Inn

I’m incredibly lucky that I get to work from wherever right now. I adore my family, and this week has been a lot of fun.

This weekend, I am going wine tasting in Long Island with my husband, his sister, and her boyfriend. My travel bug is definitely quieted this week. Smile

What are your weekend plans?

Tags: beach, Dining out, family, Food, New Jersey, Travel

We’re back from four relaxing, unplugged days on a family trip to Sanibel Island, Florida. My mom, sister, brother-in-law, niece, and nephew all arrived in Sanibel last Saturday and spent their first few days getting acquainted with Tropical Storm Debby; luckily our Wednesday arrival on the island brought heat, sunshine, and blue skies.

My husband and I could not wait to get out of Boston. His work schedule has been bananas, even more than usual, and mine, well, mine has been the opposite which causes me even more stress. Summer was looking busy for me, but two projects ended abruptly for reasons that I had no control over. Me + no control? No bueno. I decided to let it all go for a few days to focus on fun and family. After all, forty years from now, it won’t be the work projects I will be looking back on. Work is important, but I have a really hard time stepping away to fully enjoy other things. This weekend I was successful at pushing everything else to the back burner. Success!

Once we arrived at Logan, we went in to island mode. The flight on JetBlue to Fort Myers was quick and smooth, and it being off-season in Sanibel, the airport was empty. Within 20 minutes of landing we were in our rental car and headed across the Sanibel Causeway, just in time for sunset.

Sanibel Causeway sunset

Sanibel Causeway sunset

We spent our days on Sanibel playing with the kids while encountering all sorts of wildlife like this little gecko. And frogs, crabs, snails, dolphins, sting rays, fish, and even an alligator!

gecko

Our first morning in Sanibel, we took the Sanibel Thriller, a high-speed boat that makes a lap of Sanibel and Captiva while entertaining us with the dolphins surfing in our wake. Somehow we find ourselves on a boat wherever we go! I would definitely recommend it for people of all ages; even my 1.5 year old nephew enjoyed it until he fell asleep mid-boat ride!

dolphins in Sanibel

dolphin on Sanibel

The main reason to visit Sanibel is for its natural, tranquil beauty. From the hot and sunny beach days to the flowers are palm trees that are literally everywhere, it’s a place to let the outside world stop for a few days, and we we soaked up every second.

hibiscus

Sanibel Island palm tree

Lounging on the beach, swimming in the warm, shallows of the Gulf of Mexico, collecting the shells that Sanibel is famous for, and sipping on rum drinks are your only cares for most of the day.

Sanibel Island

Sanibel Island seashells

That is, until sunset rolls around. My brother-in-law has visited Sanibel and Captiva many times, and he knew exactly where on Captiva to take us for the sunset. We didn’t see the “green flash” that is said to happen when the sun dips behind the sea for the day, but we did enjoy a beautiful display of pinks and oranges while dolphins swam close by and my favorite little ones (to the right in the below picture) ran in the sand.

Captiva Island sunset

Captiva Island sunset

Sun, sand, surf, and family; if you are looking for a great getaway, Sanibel is it. We also ate some great food and drank some tasty island cocktails; those will be coming up later this week.

Do you have a favorite place to just getaway and unplug?

Tags: family, Sanibel Island, Travel

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