Free... Only want to be free... We huddle close... Hang on to a dream

Independence Weekend was filled with some really good times, and some really hard times. The good news is that the family was here so we went through it all together!

We spent time in the pool, played croquet
 

and hung out

The girls enjoyed themselves on the swings, and were just so adorable to watch play together

We also lit up the fire pit and had some s'mores....mmmm delicious

Kim and I took Elsie and Q to the park for a little bit....they had some serious fun

On sunday evening we went to the stake center to watch the fireworks...it was less then warm...but we had fun anyway....well at least for a little while.

Then things turned kind of yucky....

Michelle had gotten something in her eye, and within 15 minutes her eye looked liked this

Then Q barfed all over me and our blankets....

See when Kim and her crew had arrived on Friday night, Elsie had gotten sick and threw up all over herself in the car...and then again 12 times that night...

Saturday everything was fine, but then Sunday Chloe threw up out of nowhere onto the carpet. Then Q at the fireworks...and at night...and then Carson threw up 5 times in the night..once all over Kaiya...

Then Monday, Aaron, Kim, and I were pretty much zombies as we slept, laid on couches, and hovered around the bathrooms...

yeah it was a very anti-climatic and kind of sucky end to a rather relaxing and fun weekend. 

Now, if you starve to death, you'll just have yourself to blame. So eat it, just eat it

New York Part 3: The food

(this was a crazy japanese ice cream pouch that Mitch had in his freezer...yeah....many jokes can be made about this...)

The days may have been spent touring the city, exploring the sites, but the evenings, the evenings were spent with family eating some of the most delicious food I have ever eaten. We had italian, seafood, korean, classic deli, baked goods, chinese, and new American.
Our first day there, at Nick's request, we stopped in for lunch at famous Katz Deli.  It is only two clocks from my brother's apartment.  We had some delicious (and huge) pastrami sandwiches, classic new york hot dog, and matzu ball soup. Of course I forgot to take a picture of the delicious food...but we did get a pop can shot.

On one of our days, Nick was off with his brother and Mitch was working so it was Rachel and I having a girls day shopping in Chinatown and walking through Little Italy.  We stopped at this little Italian place and partook of their delicious homemade gelato


It was while we were enjoying this delicious italian treat that I became inspired for our next days activities.
How far away was Hoboken...and what was the possibility of hoping a train to see the Cake Boss???
I looked it up on Google Maps, and it was only 30 minutes away, by subway and PATH train, and we made it a plan.

Anyone else watch my favorite pastry guy Buddy Velastro aka "the Cake Boss" on TLC??  This guy is amazing!! We stood in line, got into the bakery and had to order us up some delicious pastries.  While in the shop I saw Buddy's mom, one of his brother-in-laws, one of his sisters, and a split second of Buddy himself!!

Just in case you were wondering....the cannolli's are freakin' delicious.

On the way back to the train station, I had to get a picture of the alley way behind the bakery. For those who watch the show, know that this is where they load the vans and play pranks on each other.


And of course no trip to the big city is complete, without Chinese Take-out delivered TO YOU, late at night. Again, we just got a multitude of items and just passed the boxes around...just heaven


Out of all the things I did in New York, by far my most favorite was eating with my brother Mitch.
 
He is a true foodie. When we go to a restaurant, he usually picks a bunch of different items, so that everyone at the table can try everything and decide what they like and not like.  there wasn't a place that we went that we didn't have at least ten different plates of food on the table, with forks, fingers, and chopsticks criss-crossing each other, trying to gorge ourselves on everything in front of us.
Although I didn't eat at Mitch's restaurant (he had gotten time off to hang out with me, and I thought spending time with him was more important that eating at his restaurant while he wasn't working) we did get to eat at two of the other Momofuko restaurants. The Noodle Bar and Ssam Bar.
OH MY GOODNESS THEY WERE DELICIOUS!!
but first a picture of Mitch in front of his workplace. Don't you love how it looks closed, and there is no sign just a simple peach logo, designating it as a Momofuko establishment...how swanky does that feel? so VIP

p.s. I was totally pulling a mom embarrassing move by making mitch pose in front of his restaurant, but I was happy that he did it for me.

Anyway...back to the food. I tried so many new things.

 I told myself that I would try at least one bite of everything that was put in front of me (unless of course Mitch deemed it too spicy for me...yes, I am a wimp). I tried a bite of these green beans with horseradish and although the beans were delicious...it was too hot for me.

(this picture was taken from the Momofuko cook book)
 I even tried Fois Grois..which look likes Spam, but has the consistency of a stick of butter...yeah it was about as good as it sounds...which is not really. but I tried it.
We also ate the sex gland of a sex urchin (the culinary name I am forgetting)...and it was actually very tasty...just in case you ever get the chance to try it...do it.
We had some amazing fish dishes, including this little number.

yep...that's teeth...crazy right?
But not as crazy as Rachel eating one of the eyeballs!!


But the #1 best thing we ate...and the thing that Momofuko is known for...was the Pork Buns.

I can't even explain to you the party in my mouth that occurred when these babies hit my lips.  the most deliciously soft asian bread, filled with deliciously prepared pork coupled with cucumbers, scallions, and a sweet asian sauce....oh my goodness.
It literally melts away in your mouth.
I still dream about these. 

I'm taking a greyhound on the hudson river line...

New York Post #2

Transportation

I love New York transportation.

I love catching a taxi and holding on for dear life as the driver navigates through manhattan traffic.

I love figuring out subway routes, and dashing down the steps hoping not to miss your train. I love scrunching into the train, hoping to get a good space with a handle to hold onto, or if you are lucky enough a chair to sit down on.

the subways are so interesting. they are filled with tons of people traveling to different destinations, homeless people trying to find an open bench to sleep on, street musicians trying to make some extra cash, and it's constant excitement. There is an instant adventure to it all.

I love the views of the city from a boat on the water.

I love how grandiose the city is.

Although exploring the Statue of Liberty and Ellis island, are both sites not to be missed...I enjoy the boat ride to and from the island as well. To be able to look all around, from manhattan, to staten island, to new jersey and see the sites is amazing.

Whenever I go to new York, I love to go on the double decker tour bus tour of downtown. It's so great. You just sit there, get some sun, and have someone tell you all about the city and the wonderful things it has to offer. Plus, you can get on and off at the stops and walk around and explore the areas that interest you. The biggest gamble of these tours is trying to get a tour guide that doesn't bore you to death, or give facts about things that you don't care about. I've had some that were funny, interesting, and were able to mix in historical facts about the city and pop cultural references like..."this library is where the film day after tomorrow was supposedly set in". Those guides are the ones I like. Then there are the ones, that ramble on and on about the architectural elements of the the buildings, and shoot our fact after fact about historical things that nobody cares about....big bore fest!

Mitch loves these tours as well. And has gone on them 3 out of the 4 times that I have gone. We are suckers for tour. Another reason why I love that kid.

Traveling to and from New York was an adventure. We were all tired, some flights got messed up, luggage was delayed, and seats were messed up...but at least I had my buddies to complain with!