Our Key West Adventure: Day 3

Day 3 in Key West started much like day 2--with a trip to Bahia Honda State Park for a day at the beach. We arrived around 9:30 a.m., and got to do some exploring up and down the beach before it got crowded.

 These branches were covered in seashells. Brad added one that he found!

 Look! We're on a log in the ocean. :)

On the way back to the house, we drove through the Key Deer Refuge to see the Blue Hole. The Blue Hole is an abandoned limestone quarry which is filled with water and home to lots of wildlife. We were able to spot these guys not far from the shore:

And  we were able to see these Key Deer before heading back to the house:

After a quick change, we headed down to Key West to catch the sunset at Mallory Square: 

Brad's Aunt and Uncle took great care of us while we were there! We had a delicious dinner waiting for us when we got home, prepared by Uncle Gabby.

 Stone crab legs!

Lobster tail!

We also had some (un-pictured) Key West Pinks (shrimp) as an appetizer. Everything was absolutely wonderful, and so fresh! After dinner, we enjoyed a low-key evening at the house, hanging out and spending quality time together. 

Catch ya later with our day 4 adventure!

-Nikki

Our Key West Adventure: Day 2

After a great weekend in Northumberland visiting with mom and dad, (and Brinley, too!), we're back in the Lehigh Valley and ready to start another week. Well, Brad is--luckily, I don't have to work tomorrow. :)

Now, back to our Key West adventure. Day two was spent with on the beach, with temperatures hovering around 75 degrees. The weather was much more cooperative than the day that we arrived, so we most of the morning and afternoon at Bahia Honda State Park. If you're visiting the Florida Keys, this is a place that you should definitely check out.

We headed back to the house after our day at the beach and got ready for dinner at The Square Grouper Bar and Grill. This place was fantastic!

Again, my apologies for the dark and blurry photos from my phone. It didn't seem appropriate to drag my wonderful new camera along to the nice restaurant.

After we split four wonderful appetizers (Flash fried conch with ponzu and wasabi drizzle, Yellowfin tuna and avocado egg rolls with dipping sauce, coconut shrimp with spicy Mango sauce, and seared tuna with spicy pineapple sauce), we got started on our entrees.

 Brad's choice: grilled scallops with roasted corn polenta cake and cilantro honey sauce. We all had a bite, and decided that it was absolutely delicious!

Aunt Beth went for the pasta with key lime butter sauce and roasted tomatoes with pan sautéed seafood combo. Amazing.

I had the jasmine rice bowl with Thai sweet chili butter sauce with spinach, jasmine rice, chopped cashews and pan sautéed shrimp. Really, it was fantastic!

Gabby had the BBQ bacon wrapped jumbo shrimp, of which we unfortunately do not have a picture. Even though this was quite a lot of food, there was still room for dessert!

Brad and I split the chocolate peanut butter pie:

and Aunt Beth and Uncle Gabby split the Square grouper magical brownie (with ice cream, chocolate sauce and health bar crunchies): 

Everything was wonderful, and I highly recommend checking out The Square Grouper Bar and Grill at mile marker 22.5. Enjoy!

Stay tuned for our day 3 adventure. 

-Nikki

Christmas-Filled Weekend

What a fantastic, Christmas-filled weekend! Brad and I were lucky to spend Friday evening at Christkindlmarkt in Bethlehem with Brad's mom and step-dad. We had a great time exploring the market and eating some great food.

After dinner Brad enjoyed a creme brulee-filled croissant, which may have been his highlight of the evening:

We also explored the SteelStacks, where the market was held. It's a great area, and would be a great place to hang out when it's a little bit warmer. We did happen to come across a giant Christmas tree made of marshmallow trees!

Saturday was a little bit more low-key, filled with naps, food, and Christmas-present wrapping.

We also had the chance to spend some time with Brad's grandfather, who came home from the hospital earlier this week.

Sunday was a day filled with holiday treat-making. Gooey butter cake (with some red and green sprinkles for some holiday flair):

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies:

And some peppermint bark:

Now we're off to have dinner with some friends. I hope you enjoyed your weekend as much as we did!

Blessings,
Nikki

The Newest Trader Joe's Obsession

So, if you've been reading this blog, or have talked to either Brad or I in the last few months, you probably know that we're slightly obsessed with Trader Joe's. I never in a million years that I would be in love a grocery store, let along drive an HOUR to go grocery shopping. My, how times change.

We were headed to the Philly area on Saturday for Brad's company Christmas party, so why not stop at Trader Joe's? We also made a stop at the Nordstrom Rack (which I wasn't quite as excited about), but it made Brad happy. 

Anyway, the Christmas party on Saturday evening was wonderful. We had a great time with Brad's friends and coworkers. Brad's Managing Partner (Steve) and his wife (Lisa) opened their incredibly beautiful home for the event, and provided incredible appetizers and desserts. Unfortunately, my camera never made an appearance, so I don't have any pictures to share with you. Trust me, it was fabulous.

Back to the Trader Joe's obsession. I read about this cookie butter online, and decided that we absolutely had to try it.

The verdict: you need to get your hands on this stuff. It tastes like a Christmas cookie and it great on toast, waffles, or a spoon.

Tonight is date night, and Brad came up with the idea for our date tonight all on this own. You'll want to check back to see what we did--this is a good one, I promise. Gentlemen, this is your warning.

Blessings!
-Nikki