Thursday, April 12, 2012

Some Kind of Trip

I had two weeks off and I have been taking a lot of trips. Trips to the bathroom. Trips to and from the car because I can't carry everything I bought at once. Trips to get more clothing to fill the washing machine. However, these are not the trips I wanted to take while I had this time off and now the window has shut on the idea.

All week I have been deleting emails from Travelocity, TripAdvisor, Expedia, Sherman's Travel and Fodor's because I don't want to see what I will miss out on while I am growing and having my child. I don't want to see the countless bars of Key West or the castles of Scotland or even the new attractions slated for Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom, because I can't visit ANY of them. Not now and not for a while.

This week, I wanted to discover a new place or lay on a beach relaxing in the sun or drink a non-alcoholic fruit concoction ... but now I will just have to wait, for longer than I probably realize, to start checking more things off of My Life List. Well, I know I can look forward to #26 and that is a wonderful and amazing thing, and I have loved every minute of it so far. I guess I am just coming to the realization that I will be sacrificing yet another thing, while I plan for my husband's trip to Toronto (another place I've never been). I will be home thinking of whether my little boy will have curly blonde or brown hair and whether he will have my brown eyes or TK's blue eyes, all from the comfort of my own home. Ah, to be a mother.

Friday, April 06, 2012

What a SMASH!

Chocolate Malt
A new burger place has come to Long Island! Smashburger is in Hicksville and the burgers, sides and shakes are delicious. My brother-in-law recommended we grab a bite there after a day of bowling, mini golf and the batting cage (I read a book during the batting cage visit because now is not the time to be taking swings).

My BBQ, Bacon and Cheddar
I had the BBQ, Bacon and Cheddar burger that came topped with fried onions and BBQ sauce. I added ketchup too, because that is what I do. The burger was just so flavorful that I think I would be happy with just their Classic Burger with Cheese. I also added the Haystack Onions and a Chocolate Malted Shake. The onions came with a horseradish dipping sauce, like you would get with a Bloomin' Onion. These onions were light and crispy, and for $1.99, they were a definite after a recommendation from my sister-in-law. The shake was also a great choice because it was sweet and creamy with a small dollop of whipped cream as an edible garnish. 
Steven's Classic with Cheese

Even TK was pleased with his meal and he got the Sweet Potato Smashfries and an order of Fried Pickles. He even referred to it as the "best burger" he has had in a while. So now we are both counting the days until we can revisit this heavenly establishment. Anyone want to go for a ride?

Thursday, April 05, 2012

Had to go to Moe's

I have been hearing so much about this place Moe's Southwest Grill because of my fondness for burritos. Today, I drove the 25 miles (much to TK's dismay) to give it a try and I was quite pleased.

I ordered the Homewrecker, which is the largest of the burrito options, so it was the obvious choice. I got it with chicken, rice, cheese, black beans, guacamole, sour cream, lettuce and salsa. All the ingredients were fresh and the burrito was made right in front of me, which I liked. Every meal comes with chips on the side and they are not cheap with them, as you can see by the picture. Of course, I had to listen to Jackie at work and get the side of queso, which was great advice (Thank you Jackie). I took half of the little cup home to share with TK because I knew he would be a fan of it as well. I couldn't even eat everything, so I am eating the other half of the burrito for dinner tonight too.


Next time, I would love to try their pork or add some bacon to my chicken burrito because that sounded delicious. Now, I just have one question ... when is Moe's coming to Suffolk County?


Wednesday, April 04, 2012

A Pretty Place on Long Island

Today I took a drive up north to Stony Brook Village and the area is so quiet and pretty. The Shopping District includes small and big name shops, but they are all grouped together in a lovely way. My first stop was the Writing Place, where they sell stationary, gifts and Vera Bradley items. Then I took a walk to browse in the shops near the post office, which included Welcome Home of Stony Brook, Fair Trade Winds and the Stony Brook Gift Shop. All of the shops sold very cute, unique items.

When I left the area, people were parked on the street next to a grassy area with huge trees and a huge pond (Mill Pond), complete with geese and ducks. The shops sell duck food, so I figured this was a place where families can and do visit on a sunny day like this one. Also, close to the harbor there was an unusual statue of Hercules. I didn't get out of the car to go see what his significance was, but I thought it was interesting.

Stony Brook Village is a very nice place to take a stroll on a nice spring day, maybe a little less fun alone, but it was peaceful and interesting.

Monday, April 02, 2012

YAY VACAY and YAY FRO YO!

I am now off for two weeks and lovin' it. Since I am not really going anywhere, I have decided to just do some local things that I have never done or tried before. Today, I did a little shopping and made sure to stop by a new frozen yogurt place named Swirls and Twirls. I love ice cream so the collection of low-fat or nonfat flavors is an even better option. They have so many flavors to choose from and they have them organized so that you can combine flavors to create a new concoction. For instance, combining their Southern Red Velvet and their Icky Sticky Peanut Butter creates the Southern Delight. And, this is before toppings ...

I chose Creamy Cookie Blitz and Icky Sticky Peanut Butter and then topped it with crushed up Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Chocolate Crunchies, Chopped Peanuts and Whipped Cream. It was great, even though the whole low-fat or nonfat idea went right out the window with my toppings. Oops!