Hi, every Friday my friend Colleen and I, Doreen, try to go on a new adventure in the state of New Jersey. We try to find new restaurants and things to try. You are welcome to come along.
This Friday we went to a local favorite Aunt Butchie’s. We, also, revisited Samaha’s . So Colleen could get more eggplant and we visited Dearborn farms.
Aunt Butchie’s starts you off with some nice bread with a dipping sauce.Chicken Tortellini Soup We both had this soup. It is one of my favorite soups. It would be the perfect soup for when you are not feeling well. So tasty and comforting. Stuffed Meatball We shared the stuffed meatball. It is a really good meatball. Light, not heavy, like some meatballs can be.Chicken Marsala We shared the chicken Marsala. This too, is full of flavor. I really liked the carrots. They were the just right of doneness. Tender but still a little crisp. We went to Samaha’s and then to Dearborn farms. Dearborn farms has a large selection of food. There is a precooked section and a bakery.
We have visited Aunt Butchie’s in the past. We have tried different dishes there. I find that quite a few restaurants have a dish that they make better than other places. It is the one people keep coming back to. Colleen likes to ask the waitress/waiter what they recommend. Aunt Butchie’s is no exception, the soup, the meatballs, the chicken Marsala are excellent, but I don’t care for their pasta. It’s decent but it’s not on the same scale as the other dishes. I wonder is it better to have a few a perfected dishes or to try and cater to a crowd?
This Friday we went to a Moroccan restaurant, Casablanca in East Brunswick and a couple of farm markets. Casablanca was perfect, the decor, the service and the food. I felt that when I entered that I was not there to just eat, but that I was welcomed into someone’s home while they prepared their best dishes.
You are served this before your meal. The cheese is very good. Colleen liked the grapes. The nuts have a little spice to them but they are not spicy. I’m not a fan of olives and Colleen is very picky about what ones she likes.Some bread to go with your meal. I liked the more brown color ones.Harira Soup We both enjoyed this soup. The lemon is supposed to give it a fresh flavor and Colleen enjoyed it much better with it, but I liked it just the way it was. So full of flavor!Marrakesh Tajine Colleen had the Marrakesh Tajine. She really really enjoyed it. So much so, that it is now her favorite restaurant.Atlas Tajine I ordered the Atlas tajine. The menu said that it had honey in it I thought it might be a touch sweet but not at all. So savory. The food here has so much flavor. YUM!Baklava and Mint tea This was fun, I liked how the hostess poured the tea from way up high. The baklava was really good. It tasted very fresh with crisp phyllo and sweet nuts. A perfect end to a delicious meal.After we went back to Samaha’s Market and Delicious Orchards. Colleen got her eggplant. Delicious Orchards is in Colts Neck and has most everything you could want. I came here early once and I could chefs walking around getting supplies for their restaurants
Early one morning in Arkansas, Debra Stevens was delivering newspapers. It had been raining and the street she usually goes down was flooded. She tried to find another way around the flooded road and ended up going into a flooded road. Her SUV stalled out and the water was rising. Debra couldn’t swim and was scared for her life. She called 911 for help. The water continued to rise. I listened to part of the 911 call. In between sobbing, she told the operator she was scared and couldn’t swim and that she didn’t want to die. The reason this call made national news was that the 911 operator was callous and uncaring to the woman. This was the last minutes of Debra’s life and you would hope that in your last minutes someone would show you some compassion. This is reality, the operator did nothing wrong, she did her job. The firemen who pulled her body from the car did nothing wrong, they did their job. Often in life, it is not the visions of TV shows where everyone does their job perfectly. People have a real life with their problems and stresses that they carry with them. Jobs are often better in theory than in reality. For example, I thought that if something was wrong and your child had a learning disability, the teacher would alert you to it. Turns out, unless your child is falling behind, that you will have to go to an expert yourself to find the learning difficulty and then fight the school for the help your child needs. I thought that guidance counselors would find the perfect college for your child, it turns out that unless your child is exceptional or you find the college yourself, they will recommend Rutgers. At least in New Jersey, because all they have to do is sign a paper.
This Friday we went back to Long Beach Island. We had the lovely presence of Val, Colleen’s daughter with us.
We tried to make the walking tour but we were too late. So we visited the museum where it would’ve started from.The museum is actually in an old church.A lot of historical items and stories from the history of the Island.Next we went to one of Val’s favorite restaurant.New England Clam Chowder All of us had the New England Clam Chowder, it was amazing. There is a reason this wins awards. YUM! I really like that the clam isn’t chewy but tender and delicious.Crab Quesadillas Val had the quesadillas, she said it was very good.Lobster Po’ Boy Colleen and I shared a half of the lobster po’ boy. So this is half a portion. It was very good with lots of chunks of lobster. I really enjoyed the french fries. They give them a sprinkle of Old Bay seasoning and they are crisp on the outside and tender on the inside.Smores’ Gelato Colleen and Val shared a gelato. They seemed to really enjoy it!Mini Golf There were many mini golf sites on the island, but did I mention that Colleen LOVES elephants. So….we went here.Not only was there one elephant but TWO elephants! I’m surprised we got to leave. We played and I WON! Did anyone hoist me on their shoulders and applaud? No. Did I get a parade? No. Did I get a crown? No. A sash with winner typed across it? No. I got “Now there is going to be no living with her” 😦
There many families there enjoying the shore, since it was the Labor Day weekend. It was nice to see. Some dads think that by making money, it is enough. It always drives me crazy those movies where the dad is divorced and estranged from his child. Then the child gets kidnapped and he has to rescue them. Then suddenly he is the hero. I doubt that has happened in the history of mankind. If so, it has been very rare. Dads spend time with your child. You are not going to rescue them from kidnappers.
This Friday, we went by the Jersey shore and visited Barnegat. We went had breakfast at Mustache Bill’s Diner and did a little shopping. On the way home stopped at a local farm market.
Mustache Bill’s Diner Colleen tried to surprise me by taking me too Mustache Bill’s one year for my birthday, but it was closed for the winter. We did manage to go the next summer. The diner has been featured on Diners, Drive Ins and Dives and has received the James Beard award.New England Clam Chowder Colleen had the chowder. She said it was good.Crab, Mushroom and Cheese Omelet Colleen had the Crab Omelet with grits and an English Muffin. Last time we went, she had ordered the same omelet with pepper jack cheese and they gave her Monterrey jack cheese instead. When they presented it to her, they told her of the mistake and offered to make her a new one or take the omelet off the bill. So….. she got her omelet for free! This time no such luck. She said it was good but this time there were the little pieces of cartilage you can sometimes get with crab. She said the grits were good but not as good as 618. Potato Skin Omelet I ordered the potato omelet. I got this last time we went. It was good then and it was good this time, too. I got my omelet home fries and an English Muffin. I like the way they make the omelets, with the cheese and fillings in the middle not mixed in. To me, when it’s mixed in it’s scrambled eggs not an omelet. In case you are wondering, the bacon is not crisp but not rubbery either.Next, we went to the Viking Village. It sounded good in the description but I found it lacking. It’s a few cute shops, that I felt were overpriced. Not what I was expecting. This is a few boats next to it.Firefly
I spotted this shop on the way to Mustache Bill’s. It’s a gift shop with many items made by local artists. We spent some time here and every time you looked around you found something different. The mosaics were made by different artists and some by children. Samaha’s farm market We went here on the way home. Colleen swears they have the best eggplant. The farm market looks small and is small, but you would be surprised how many fresh vegetables are here. They even have fresh mushrooms and zucchini blossoms, all sorts of peppers and many varieties of eggplant. I love it!
Sometimes things are better in our minds, then in reality. The Viking Village I pictured much grander than it was. I’ve seen little clusters of cute shops along the shore and was expecting something close to or better. I was disappointed. Colleen always talked of having a sister and what she imagined it would be like. They could share clothes and be each others bridesmaids. She doesn’t have a sister, she has two brothers. I have a sister. I guess she imagined that her sister would be like her. She has three daughters. She now can see that it’s not exactly like she imagined. My sister is not like me, sometimes I wonder if we have the same parents. The fights we used to have! My grandmother had bought us the same little car. The first thing I did was look for the difference to see whose was whose. I can still remember my Grandma saying, “Why are they fighting I bought them the same exact thing?” Still there is something to be said about having a sister. She knows me probably better than anyone. She knows my start and the home we grew up in. She knows my strengths and weaknesses. I can count her to tell me what she thinks. She has nothing to lose or gain by telling me the truth. I may not agree but I know her advice is honest and from the heart. She maybe my sister but she will be my forever friend.
This Friday we went to Great Adventure, it seemed like one of those days where everything that can go wrong does.
We got salads from the Go Fresh Salads It is part of the meal plan at Great AdventurePasta Salad Colleen and I both got the Pasta salad as a side. YUK! YUK is giving it compliments. It was drenched in this vinegar based dressing, all you could taste was vinegar. It was inedible.Cobb Salad Colleen ordered the salad. It was supposed to come with romaine lettuce but they gave her spinach. She said it was good.Harvest Salad I ordered the Harvest salad. It was good. I liked the dressing.Butterfly garden in Manalapan ParkWater Park, also in Manalapan Park
It was one of those days where everything seems to go wrong, not just for us but others it seems. Colleen had ordered her season passes online and the food plan to go with it. The food plan is supposed to include the souvenir cup that is good for the year. We didn’t have much time and we spent a good part of it going from one place to other for the cup, which she didn’t get anyway. Great Adventure was not prepared it seems. She gave up and we went to the safari. The lady at the entrance said the wait was a half hour. An hour later we got out of line because it was near time for us to leave. We both a got salad to go. The pasta side salad we got was inedible and I was going to throw it out but before I could it went flying all over Colleen’s new van. (I’m sorry) This Friday was turning into normal life…sigh. Colleen managed to get her daughter a ride and we were able to eat our salad in the park in Manalapan. I haven’t been there since my daughter was little. They added the butterfly garden and water playground. I wish they had these when my daughter was little, she would’ve enjoyed them.
Food for thought
It seems to me that life goes in cycles, there will be a bad spell for awhile that hopefully doesn’t last long. I remember a time where it seemed every time I touched an appliance it would break. Is it in the stars, horoscopes are often vague or completely wrong. I am surprised no one has reworked them. There is something to astrology though, I do believe in it. When people act up, it is often said, “Is there a full moon?” The moon affects the tides here on earth, we are over 50% water does this have an affect on us? It seemed this day was not only annoying just for Colleen and me but it seemed others were having minor to major difficulties. I went in QuickChek, the girl forgot her wallet and the man in there couldn’t get the machine to take his dollar. Minor inconveniences but why on the same day?
This Friday we went to Blue Water restaurant in East Brunswick and back to Colleen’s mom’s house.
They must’ve added a lunch size portion to the menu.Lobster Bisque Of course, we both had the Lobster Bisque. This had to be one of the best Lobster Bisque I’ve had. Rich and creamy, full of flavor with big chunks of lobster. Next time I will get the full bowl portion.Scallops Parmigiana Colleen ordered the Scallops Parm. She was very excited because she never had scallops parm before. It was a very generous portion and she ate it most of it. She liked the sauce and said it was very good.Crispy Scallops I ordered the crispy scallops, they come with french fries, Coleslaw and tartar sauce. The french fries were good when I first got them, crisp on the outside, soft on the inside but with most french fries they lose that crisp outer layer when they cool. The scallops had this very crisp crust on them, that you bit into and it formed a perfect ball. Some of them were a bit overcooked and were a bit chewy. I did not care for the tartar sauce, too many pickles for me. The Coleslaw I felt was the star of the show. I really really liked it. A perfect blend of sweet and sour.
After we went back to Colleen’s mom’s house, where we played Sequence. Which I won! Colleen would say otherwise. The game is pretty simple, there is a board with playing cards on which you place your colored chip. The object is to get 5 in a row. You use playing cards to say which of the spaces you can place your chip. Colleen had asked if she could put them up or down or in rows, to which I replied anyway. Anyway to me also implied diagonal. I won!
Competition
It seems life is often nothing but competition, we compete before we even know that it exists. Our parents measure our progress against other babies. Did we roll over early? How soon until we talk? When did we learn to read? Then we are measured in school, what grades did we get against others? Which college did we go to? Who did we marry? What kind of car, house, etc.? How are our children doing? Then later in life, it is who lived the longest? Is this competition healthy? For some, I think it helps them to strive to do better. Others, I feel crumble under the pressure and it can lead to depression. It would be nice if we could just find our own strengths and weaknesses and accept ourselves and not try to measure against others. It’s those attributes that make you, you.
This Friday we went to a local favorite, Al’s Luncheonette in Manalapan. It’s a friendly restaurant with excellent service and good food. I always enjoy going to luncheonettes, they have that homey feel.
Chicken Fajita Omelet Colleen had the chicken fajita omelet with a side of hash browns. She enjoyed it very much and ate it all up!Manalapan Skillet I had the Manalapan skillet. It comes with scrambled eggs but I ordered over easy eggs instead. It is a combination of corned beef, potatoes, onions and green peppers with a touch of cheese. It is very good.Glenmont This Friday we went to Edison’s home Glenmont. He bought the house for his second wife, as a wedding present. His first wife had died.We took a tour of the house. You have to go to the labs first to get the pass for the tour. You are not allowed to take pictures inside the house.The inside is very beautiful with many rich details. There is a grand staircase as you enter with beautifully carved wood accents.You park by the greenhouse, which we looked at first. There were some plants for sale, not these, but Colleen and I both bought some. Let’s see who’s last the longest 🙂 (NO FAIR! Colleen now has her mom taking care of the plant. Her mom gets rid of plants because she gets tired of them. Cheater Cheater)Mina Edison enjoyed bird watching and horticultureOn the side of the house is a conservatory, which Mina enjoyed watching birds. There was even a bird bath which was heated during the winter.Edison’s garage Thomas Edison didn’t like to drive. His son once got him to drive and he ended up in the ditch.Thomas and Mina Edison Both of their graves are on the property of GlenmontGlenmont is in the development of Llewellyn Park There are people who live in this beautiful place. Many trees, sloping hills, deer everywhere with little parks like these, it’s hard to believe that it is 12 miles from New York City. After we went to Zinburger in ManalapanSweet Potato Fries with dipping sauces These were yummy! One sauce has a bit of tang, the yogurt with herbs and the other was sweet, the maple. Colleen liked the yogurt one better. I liked both.Zucchini Fries There were yummy too! They are served with ranch dressing and lots of Parmesan cheese. The Plain and Simple Burger We both had this burger, only I had fried onions and cheese added and Colleen had cheese added to hers. I’m not crazy about my burger, I guess I expected more. It was a bit greasy and it didn’t have that char that I like on my burgers.
Having visited both Edison’s lab and home, I got curious to learn more about the man. I know at one time he had a rivalry with Tesla. Edison wanted to use DC to power homes and Tesla wanted to use AC. So to prove that AC was dangerous Edison electrocuted an elephant. I couldn’t imagine someone doing that today. Did he think he was serving the greater good? Going to Edison’s house, a woman who went on the tour before us was very upset about the animal skins in the home, there was a bear, tiger, leopard and an owl that I saw. Our tour guide told us this is because they wanted to bring nature into the house, but I think Edison was not an animal lover. Does this make him a lesser of a person to be admired? I think not, but it makes him human, which we all are. It’s funny how history repaints us.
Colleen’s mom is having some work done on her house, so it was another afternoon at her childhood home. We went to the Polish store in East Brunswick, European Homemade Provisions, and brought our food back to eat.
Skinless Frank with Sauerkraut We both had the franks. I love Polish skinless franks and this one was good, but neither one of us liked the sauerkraut. The kraut was very mushy with no bite at all and it made the bread very soggy. Stuffed Cabbage Colleen had the stuffed cabbage. I had bought some to take home. My grandmother and grandfather on my father’s side had immigrated from Poland, so I have had many a stuffed cabbage. This didn’t remind me of my childhood, I’m not sure what they did to the cabbage, but it gave it a weird texture. The meat mixture was good though.Macaroni Salad I ordered a side order of macaroni salad. It was perfectly fine macaroni salad, but nothing special. I, personally, like to add a little celery seed to brighten my salads up.
As I stated before both of my grandparents were immigrants to this country. Immigrants often take a lot of heat. While I can understand that we can’t let just people come into this country without proper channels, I can’t imagine the courage it took for these people to come here. To leave your country behind, all that you know, all your friends and family, often not being able to speak the language, often with little or no money, it seems to me to be almost insurmountable odds of success. One thing I know growing up here in America, yes it is the land of opportunity, but it also is not very kind to immigrants. You have to work hard to make a better life here and it may not happen in your lifetime but possibly the future of your children can be much brighter.
Today we had the pleasure of Colleen’s daughter, Caroline with us. We got food to go from Rice Factory Thai Restaurant in Milltown. We ate in Colleen’s childhood home.
there is more on the lunch menu Munchkin Hot dogs and Fries Caroline had the hot dogs and fries. I think she enjoyed it, she ate it allRavioli Soup Colleen and I had the ravioli soup. It was yummy, it had a nice portion of fresh vegetables that were crisp tender and the broth was very tasty. I loved the seasonings they used, it wasn’t the usual chicken broth.Drunken Noodle Colleen had ordered the dinner Drunken Noodle and was charged the dinner price but this is the lunch version. The lunch version has squid and dinner has scallops, along with the shrimp and chicken. Drunken Noodle Colleen then called the restaurant and they made her a new one. She had to return with the lunch version, I think to make sure she wasn’t just getting another meal for free. She then came back with both meals. When she opened the “new” meal, she was upset to find squid still in it. She was highly upset. I asked where the other meal was and she discovered that the dinner version with scallops was still in the bag. We had a good laugh. She enjoyed her meal, but I think since the scallops were very small next time she would get the lunch version and hold the squid.Pad See Ew I think this is my go to when ordering Thai food. I ordered at every new Thai restaurant I go to. Is this the best Pad See Ew I’ve had? It is not, but it is very good. The sauce is very similar to the one used in the soup. I would get it again.
Food for Thought
Last week I talked about success, Thomas Edison was a successful man there is no doubt. We tend to think that being rich and famous is the pinnacle of success. I think to be rich and famous, it is hard to stay grounded. People often surround you who will agree with whatever you say, which can lead you to not have a real view of the world. I would prefer not to be famous. When you are famous your every move is subject to inspection. Get mad and yell at someone and you can be on the news. It’s as if you’re not expected to be human. Money is always nice to have, but too much of it and it gets hard to tell who is truly your friend. In life, there is always trade-offs, when you get one thing you may lose another.
For the majority of us, neither of these things are in the cards. For us, I think that successful life would be, to leave a piece of yourselves behind. If we inherit Dad’s sense of humor or get Aunt Betty’s potato salad recipe. A piece of us is there for future generations. In the end, though all that matters, is to be surrounded by those we love and who love us.
This Friday we went to a place that was on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, and the Thomas Edison Museum. The Bayway Diner has different owners since it was on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, I don’t have any comparisons between the new and old.
Bayway Diner I saw pictures of the diner, but I had no idea how small it was. I think it has seating for eight and room behind the counter is tight. Even though the place was small, it had that hometown feel and the people who work there are very friendly. One of the cooks even showed us pictures of his new born baby.Steak and Egg Wrap Colleen said it was very good and it didn’t need the egg.Egg and Meat Platter I had the egg and meat platter. The eggs, home fries and toast were good, but I didn’t care for the corned beef hash. Next time, I would order a different meat.Edison’s Laboratory It’s in West Orange, New Jersey and is a National Park. I have never been there before and I had no idea the size of the site. I pictured a two story house with some test tubes. This building is three stories tall and housed the machine shop, darkroom, drafting room, library which is three stories tall, and recording studio. I am probably forgetting some rooms.Side view of the building. To the left were smaller buildings that housed the chemical lab, chemical supplies and patterns, and metal surgical studies.Another side view To the left is the chemical lab and in front of the building is the movie lot.Machine shop There was many large industrial tools here, I can just imagine the noise. We had a recorder that when you played information of each of the rooms. It stated that there was a strong smell of oil, too. Now, its beautiful but in it’s day I imagine it was an awful place to work. There were no safety devices in those days and if you lost a finger it was your fault.Machine shop The size of the chains on the left are immense. The recorder stated that they were used to take machines from one side of the room to the other.Part of a machine I don’t know what this machine was for, but it reminds me of the symbol for Chevy.Creepy Doll The doll itself is kind of cute, but it was the first doll that talked. When I heard the voice on the recorder, the stuff of nightmares. It says Ford on the front of the car. It is a child’s car and so very cute! Edison’s Library The pictures that hang from the railings and such, was put there by Edison’s design. Sorry for the bad picture, it was so very hot.
Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration. Thomas Edison.
Food for thought
Some people will say that being smart is the best asset to have, others beauty and still others will say it’s being good at reading people or EQ. Those gifts can get you far in life no doubt, but the best asset I think to succeed is drive. I don’t think you can learn it, it’s something inside a person. Edison had a third grade education. Only going to the third grade would seem that you would be at a disadvantage, the odds would seem stacked against you. Life is funny though, you just don’t know and if you give up, you never will know if you could’ve done it. The road to success is seldom smooth and those with the drive are the ones at a chance to succeed.
Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up -Thomas Edison
Friday is Funday 
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