November 22, 2019

We are going to Great Adventure! We are going to Great Adventure! I’m going to avenge my score and become victorious! It is going to be in the 60s! Last time was cold, this time it’s going to be beautiful! Then this happened……………………….

And it’s cold too. There was no plan B. We became nomads looking for something to do.

The one bright spot in our day. You could smell the bacon from outside!

The Special of the day Ricotta Pancakes with berries and bacon.
Colleen said this is one of the best pancakes she has ever had. She said the berries were super sweet, it was so good you didn’t need syrup. The bacon was as good as it smelled, yummy!

Eggs Americano
It was excellent! The biscuits were flaky, the cheese sauce was there but not overpowering, the ham was good and eggs were cooked perfectly. The home fries were good.

Brock Farms
I always liked visiting Brock farms. You can see many things you don’t see elsewhere.

Bunny Planters
We stopped here to see if they had any planters for my plants. I need bigger ones for the plants I have and the ones I have are ugly. I need it for my plants except for…..

Ok, I’m calling it. My plant died from the Edison greenhouse. Colleen says that her is still alive and doing beautifully but……..I haven’t seen it to confirm this. She is a cheater anyway, she gave it her mother, who has a very green thumb. Cheater Cheater.

While looking for my planter, I dragged Colleen to look at the beautiful Christmas decorations there.

I see you Santa trying to hide behind the trees. Thought you could fool me wearing green. 🙂

Friendsgiving- It’s nice to spend time with your friends and make memories. To have this new holiday around the traditional Thanksgiving, is a nice addition I think. To have this in place of the traditional Thanksgiving, I’m not crazy about. I can understand if it’s impossible to make it home. You live far away or work prevents you from reaching home. You gather friends in similar situations. Some though, are having Friendsgiving because they don’t want to answer questions by their family. To this I take offense, it’s not that parents want to pry into your darkest secrets. The just want you to reflect on your life, where you are going and where do you want to go. They hold up a mirror for you to peer into. Are you afraid of the reflection?

Hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving! 🙂

November 15 and 16, 2019

A two-day Funday! Actually, we went to the same places both days. We didn’t have enough time on Friday to do what we wanted because of a bad waiter. Both days we went to Harrold’s Deli and the Sugarloaf Craft fair in Edison.

At Harrold’s deli the portion size is gigantic. Nothing makes people as happy as ridiculous sizes of food. It looks like they are serving giants!

This was our first time to the deli and our waiter wasn’t helpful at all. Not to mention we waited over an hour for the bill and for him to take our order. We were there for two hours. He, also, forgot Colleen’s soup, which apparently I forgot to take a picture of. Colleen had the soup of the day, which was Mushroom Barley. She did not enjoy it.

The deserts are gigantic! A lady next to us got a slice of cake for her birthday, it was much larger than any whole cake. She was offering the whole section we were in a piece and still had a lot to take home.

Lunch Special Turkey Paninni
Unfortunately I don’t have the menu for it. She said the turkey was good. The french fries were very good.

New York’s Best Corned Beef
The Corned beef was good. I don’t know if it’s the best I’ve ever had, but it is very tasty. The Cole slaw, though was excellent. The bread too, is really good. If you put it all together; the corned beef, Cole slaw, bread and Russian dressing by far one of the best corned beef sandwiches I’ve ever had. You get the pickle bar with your meal. Pickles aren’t that exciting.

Single Blueberry Pancake
We had breakfast the next day! The pancake was the size of a large pizza. I don’t know how they flipped it. It was a very good pancake too!

Two Eggs any style with Ham
We both wanted eggs with our pancakes and Colleen wanted home fries too. The waiter suggested we get the meal instead. He was a very good waiter. I wish we had him the first day.

We went to Sugarloaf craft fair both days, it is supposed to be one of the top 50 craft fairs in the country. Craft fairs attract many different types of crafters. There are those who’ve honed their skills over many years and those that just slap things together trying to make extra cash. There are those who’ve come up with a brilliant idea and those that stole a brilliant idea. People whose prices are ridiculously high and those that are a bargain. People who market towards everyone and those only to select few. It’s fun and interesting. You are sure to see things you haven’t seen before. We both managed to get some Christmas shopping done.

November 8, 2019

This Friday we went to Great Adventure and Peking Pavilion. We, also, did a little shopping.

Great Adventure was open this Friday. They were still decorating for Christmas and taking down the Halloween decorations.

We went on the Justice league ride. It was soo much fun! It’s in 4d and you have to shoot targets while moving. It was fun, except for the fact that Colleen won! Why would she do this, has she not met me?

I like that they give a big piece of lemon with your water. Colleen says it looks like a boat on the water 🙂

Combination of Egg Drop Soup and Wonton
Colleen likes to mix her soups. She said it was good and had corn and pieces of chicken in it.

Wonton Soup
The broth is so very flavorful.

Crispy Tangerine Scallops
Colleen said the scallops were cooked perfectly. I know she isn’t a fan of peppers and onions and pushed them to the side.

Imperial Chicken
It is basically General Tso’s Chicken, which I order often. The difference between Peking Pavilion’s dish and that of the Chinese take-out is night and day. The take-out is often very heavily breaded and the sauce has the orange flavor with a bit of heat. Peking Pavilion’s dish has a full depth of flavor, lightly breaded with tender chicken. I was heard somewhere that you are not supposed to be able to taste the ingredients in a dish, but they are supposed to meld into one flavor. That is what happens here. The slaw is something I never had before. At first, my mouth said it was spicy. It is more tangy than spicy. I can taste the sesame oil and it gives a nice balance to the richness of the Imperial sauce. YUM!

Poor Thanksgiving! At Great Adventure there were Christmas decorations going up and Halloween decorations going down, but nothing for Thanksgiving. Rarely do you see a house with anything Thanksgivingish. Now stores are putting up decorations for Christmas before Halloween is over. I sort of expect that from stores but people are also, putting up Christmas decorations now before Thanksgiving. I always thought of Thanksgiving as a man’s holiday. No presents to buy, surrounded by family, watching the games on tv, and getting to have a feast. In a way, it’s more about family than Christmas. There is food and family, that’s all while being grateful for both. I hope Thanksgiving doesn’t get lost.

November 1, 2019

This Friday we ran errands and went to Battleview again and ate at Koy Turkish Grill in East Brunswick. We, also, got a quick visit to Colleen’s mom. Did I mention her mom is so cute?

Zucchini Pancakes
They were tasty but a bit too spicy for me.

Red Lentil Soup
The soup was tasty but a bit spicy for me.

Lamb Shish
Colleen loved the lamb shish, She said it was better than the Casablanca restaurant.

Chicken Shish
Oops! I forgot to take the picture before I started eating. I liked the chicken shish with the rice and salad, but I didn’t love it. I would get it again, but I don’t think I’ll crave it.

On our travels we often pass this church that likes to post different quotes. This Friday the quote by Wanda E Brunstetter was “Worry is the darkroom in which negatives can develop.” We all worry to some point. I sometimes think that if I worry about it, it won’t happen. Even though in my mind I know that’s not true. It’s hard to stop those thoughts from creeping in. Worry does though, have its usefulness if it puts you into action or helps you prepare. What is a fire drill, if not worry put it into action? It can help us prepare for things life can throw at us. Worry can also cause anxiety if it becomes obsessive. It is sometimes hard to get out of your head. For me, I find that doing something with a rhythm that I don’t have to put much thought into, helps to calm the mind. What helps you stop from worrying too much?

October 25,2019

This is one of my favorite Friday fundays. We got a quick bite at Panera’s and went up north to Luna Parc in Sandyston.

Ham, Egg and Cheese Sandwich and Four Cheese Souffle
Panera’s is a chain restaurant, that taught me that healthy food doesn’t have to taste like straw. The souffles are sooo good.

When we started out, Colleen tried to use a new app for the drive. For some reason, the map wouldn’t pop up on the screen. So, she went back to her old reliable app. For a little time, we had both apps guiding us but eventually, the old app killed off the new app. I think that the old app was mad at us and got us lost. When we were near our destination the old app went silent. Eventually, it came back but it took us to the wrong DeGroat road. Who would think that there were two DeGroat Roads near each other? At least we got to see some pretty countryside. A couple of weeks earlier it would’ve been peak viewing of the fall foliage.

We only spent an hour and a half here, we could’ve easily spent more time.

When we went, I was expecting maybe 10 people, but the street was lined with cars. The amount of work that Ricky Boscarino has managed to accomplish is beyond remarkable. It boggles the mind. We only got a glimpse of the artist himself, a quick hello and he was off. He looked like a man that is excited by life. He reminds me of Edison. I imagine that every day he wakes full of ideas of what to do next. It must be nice to know what to do with your life. Most of us flounder wondering where to go. I doubt many of us end up where we thought we would. I’m reminded of what the late Captain Phil Harris said on the Deadliest Catch,” There’s three types of people in the world: There are people that watch stuff happen, there are people that make things happen, or you can wonder what the hell happened.’” Ricky of Luna Parc makes things happen and it’s magical.

October 18, 2019

This Friday we went to an old favorite Comfi in Old Bridge and we went to a corn maze and for a hayride at Bullock Farms in Cream Ridge.

Comfi
The portions here are hungry lumberjack size. Two older gentlemen were walking out without food. Colleen was mystified. How could two people walk without food from here?

Pierogies with Potato and Cheese
From the menu: Our own farmer cheese blend sauteed with onions. Your choice of sour cream or applesauce or both. 12.95
We got them deep fried and fried on the griddle. I think I prefer the griddle. This picture does not do them justice. They are huge, by far the biggest pierogies I’ve ever seen. They are about the size of your fist.

And Then I Met You
I’m not sure of the ingredients, but I know it has egg whites, a generous helping of turkey, avocado, pepper jack cheese and a side of sweet potato fries. 11.95
Colleen enjoyed this, she really liked the combination of ingredients and said they went well together. Even though she couldn’t get to get them all in one bite.

Strong and Sexy
2 homemade hearty potato pancakes, scallions on top. 2 eggs any style and a side of kielbasa. 12.95
Again, the picture does not do this justice. The potato pancakes are the size of the plate, which is not your ordinary plate. There is a more than generous side of kielbasa. The only thing I finished were the eggs,which were cooked perfectly. Colleen is very particular about her eggs. These are perfect, no lace and no runny whites, with a perfectly runny yolk.

When you get to the middle of the maze, there is a platform to look at the surrounding area. It is the perfect viewing point.

Some of the farm animals, including one happy sheep!

We went for a hay ride, which was nice. There was a pond with many scarecrows. This is our “big” pick for the day. Colleen’s is the little perfect pumpkin in the front and mine is the larger yellow pumpkin.

We went through a corn maze. Before we did though, Colleen’s daughters have told me that she always gets lost in them. So….I let her lead. It’s pretty simple to figure out a corn maze after some time has passed from its opening. Just go the most traveled route. Even if half the people went the wrong way, they still had to go the right way to get out. Colleen made a couple of wrong turns, but was not seriously lost or off the beaten path. We got to the halfway point where there is a viewing platform you can climb and take in the scenery. We start to make our way back and Colleen takes a turn I know leads us to where we just left. I ask her where is she going we just came from that way. It was easy to see it was just a little square that would lead you back to where we were. In the middle of the square, she says “YIPEE” to make me think that I was missing something. Ummm……………no I do not need to see more corn stalks. All this time I think her girls thought she was getting lost and she just wanted to see the whole corn maze.

October 11, 2019

This Friday we went to El Guacamole in Millville and the Wheaton Arts Center. We were pleasantly surprised by the scarecrows lining the street. Last year, we went to a town that advertised scarecrows there were some but Millville had more.

At first I thought this was a real live policeman because it’s in front of the police station.

Guacamole
We had the guacamole appetizer. It was recommended on one of the reviews. So, we tried it and I’m so glad we did. They make it at your table and ask which ingredients you would like. You have a choice of onions, tomatoes, cilantro, lime, salt and jalapenos. We got everything except jalapenos.

Crema de Crangrejo
This has become one of my favorite soups. It is simply delicious. It has mushrooms, artichokes and spinach with big chunks of crab. The crab is so very tender and none of the cartilage you can sometimes get with crab.

El Guacamole Special Fajitas
We shared the fajitas. It was very good. We especially liked the tortillas. I’m pretty sure they were made fresh made because they were so very soft with none of those hard edges tortillas can sometimes have.

We only had time to visit the glass museum. There is more to see, so we have to come back another day.

What is art? I think the best description I’ve heard, is that makes you feel something. I often wonder is art necessary. It is often cut from school budgets. I think art is necessary, without it life would be less colorful. A photo can move people to action. A drama can move us to tears, see someone else’s point of view. A song can make our hearts race or calm us. Art gives us a sense of wonder. Art helps expand our horizons, makes us looks at the world in a different way. I wouldn’t want to think of world without art.

October 3, 2019 Thursday??? is Funday

Real life took over and this week we had our day out on Thursday. Today we went to Jerry and Harvey’s in Marlboro and one of our favorites places That Hot Dog Place, which is now Soul Sandwich in Red Bank.

Potato Knish
We wanted something light while we ran errands and before we had lunch. It was tasty.

Soul Sandwich is down this little alley, which reminds me of Harry Potters diagon alley. We had a hard time finding it the first time but it was well worth the effort.

This was once That Hot Dog Place, Gary Sable made the most delicious homemade soups here. The new owner got the recipes from Gary and Gary shows up to see how it’s going. If you haven’t noticed, we often order soup. I think this started when we both tried the Soupman’s soups (the one from Seinfield’s soup nazi). The Soupman started opening restaurants in the state and then the recession hit. Many of them closed. The Red Bank restauraunt remained open for a bit. I love his vegetable soup and Colleen loves it too. So, ….on Wednesdays, when they were younger, both our girls went to a class near the Soupman in Red Bank and we would meet there. The owner would have our vegetable soup waiting for us!

This isn’t the menu from the day we went, but it’s similar.

Chili Dog with Mushroom Barley Soup
This was Colleen’s lunch.

Hot Dog with Sauerkraut and Mushroom Barley Soup
This is what I had. The hot dog was good, Sarbrett, fresh bread, good Saurkraut. The soup though tasted like it was missing something. Maybe the love that Gary put into it.

Above is a restaurant we won’t eat at again, it’s in Marlboro. We thought we got the worse service possible there. The waitress was standing right next to us, I could’ve poked her, she wouldn’t look at us or ask us how things were. I forget what we wanted but I know there was something we needed. The menu said freshly squeezed juice and I was all excited until she handed me a bottle of juice. I guess…..the label says fresh- squeezed. Wasn’t thrilled about getting the freshly squeezed price for it. That being said, it has been replaced, by Jerry and Harvey’s. We have never been there before and Colleen kept remarking how everything looked so good. A clue that we have never been there before. We went inside and ordered our knishes. We both wanted them hot and got something to drink. I asked Colleen if she wanted to eat them in the store and she said, “sure”. We proceeded to find a seat. With as much urgency as a nurse would tell someone who was about to smoke a cigarette near a person on life support with lung cancer, the waitress yelled at us that we weren’t allowed to sit there. It was for people who ordered food from the seat. For a minute or two we stood there in shock. The seating area was right there next to the counter. We purchased the food from the same store. There was absolutely not a soul but us in the deli. Not one table had someone seated there. I don’t understand. Are we supposed to ask if we can sit when we order our food?

September 27, 2019

Cheap Eats! This Friday we went to Manalapan Luncheonette and Ikea in Elizabeth.

Ham and Egg Sandwich
Colleen had the ham and egg sandwich. She really likes that they use real ham on the sandwich.

Two Eggs Any Style
I had my eggs over easy with rye toast and home fries. Everything was perfect!

We went to Ikea next. We looked around. I have a dream of the perfect craft room and I was hoping to get inspiration. On the second floor, you can sit and have lunch and watch the planes leave Newark airport. I don’t think we picked the right seat though. By the time I had the camera ready the planes were really small.

We both had the Swedish Meatballs.
It surprisingly tasty with the ligonberry sauce and gravy. The potatoes are really better than expected, but I did not care for the green beans. They were bland and dry.

Vegetable Patty
We shared the vegetable patty. It had chopped vegetables in it and was really good.

This week we ate cheaply. You can find good food in places you wouldn’t expect. We found that you can’t judge a restaurant by appearances alone. Manalapan Luncheonette is what I call a man’s restaurant. Often you will find many trucks and SUV s outside. They often serve just breakfast and lunch. They are not fancy, but what you will find is good food at a good price.

September 20,2019

This week we went to the mall and ate at Ruby Tuesday.

We both ordered the salad bar with our meals. It is not quite as good as Charlie Brown’s, but it is more than satisfying.

Salad by Colleen.
We both especially love the croutons.

Chicken Fresco
Colleen ordered the Chicken and got the lemon butter sauce on the side. She said that it really didn’t need it, so she went without it.

Parmesan Shrimp Pasta
Yuck! I imagine Parmesan pasta as a sort of Alfredo type sauce, which it did have. The shrimp though, had a sort of creole spice on it. It ruined the whole dish. It tasted like a mistake, but the waiter said it was the way it came.

I’m sad to see malls go. It seems they are becoming something from the past. Some are trying to branch out with more entertainment but I think the younger people are just not interested. The mall is part of our Black Friday ritual. Colleen and I wake up before dawn and start the day. We make a pit stop for leftovers some time in the day and go back out again. We usually go until the stores close, but last year we ended early. I flagged us. I had to. We both were standing in front of an automated door and it was not working. Colleen kept saying “Open sesame”. I stood there wondering why she was saying that. Finally, a little girl came over and told us the door was broken. When you forget how doors works it’s time to go home. 🙂