Shake Shack - New York Burgers in the 'Burbs

Shake Shack is a burger joint that conjures up delicious memories for many people.  Found originally in New York, tourists and city dwellers alike flocked to its various locations to indulge in the burgers and shakes.  When rumors started to spread that Shake Shack was moving to the Boston area people got excited.  When the rumors were confirmed and the doors of the Chestnut Hill location opened, there were lines of people willing to wait over an hour to taste what Shake Shack had to offer.

Single Shake Shack Burger

Antelope Island - Wilderness in Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City, as the name implies, is right next to the Great Salt Lake, an odd lake in that it is filled with salt water.  Along the north side of the lake is Antelope_Island, a small National Park that is only accessible by a causeway and is home to herds of bison, antelope and coyotes.  When we got there I thought the only bison I would see would be the plastic one in the photo below - how wrong I was!  The ground was completely snow covered and a similar color to the snow and the rocks, making it a bit difficult to spot the animals, but we found them.  I will say, our friend Noah had a telescopic lens and his photos are light years better, but for now you are stuck with mine!

Welcome to Antelope Island

Temple Square, Salt Lake City

Switching gears a bit, we are heading back to when the ground was covered in snow and Nick and I were visiting Salt Lake!  After spending two great days skiing Solitude and Snowbird we decided to explore the sites around Salt Lake.  The center of the city is dominated by Temple Square, an area owned by the Mormon Church that houses the impressive Salt Lake Temple.  While non-mormons are not allowed in some of the buildings, we were more than welcome to tour the beautiful park.  It was cold (freezing, in fact!) so it was a quick visit, but we were able to take in the beautiful architecture and snap some great photos (of course!).

Union Square Donuts - YES, They Are That Good!

News of Union Square Donuts at first was quiet, but it spread quickly.  The tales of their donuts traveled quickly, and soon people were waking up early on weekends to ensure they would be able to taste the fabled maple bacon donut.  I am not usually one to seek out donuts, but after reading so many rave reviews I knew I could not hold out any longer.  So before our trip north to Crane Beach, we decided to stop by and see what Union Square Donuts was all about.  The verdict - amazing!

Maple Bacon Donut - enough said

The first thing you should know: these donuts are not your typical cake donuts - rather they are the yeast type, which are way better (in my humble opinion).  I walked into the small storefront on Somerville Avenue and contemplated the 6 varieties.  Rather than having to choose, I just got one of each - WAY easier!

Pho Pasteur - Vietnamese Pho

After seeing a movie over on Tremont Street downtown, Nick and I were looking for a quick bite to eat.  Since we regularly go to jm Curley after a movie, we decided to expand our horizons and try our luck in Chinatown (and something beyond Gourmet Dumpling House, even though it's delicious!)  After wandering around a bit we happened upon Pho Pasteur, a traditional Vietnamese restaurant that we had heard about a few times before.  This seemed like the perfect time to give it a shot.

Pho Pasteur

Even though it was 10PM the place was busy, but we were sat straight away and started to review the lengthy menu.  To begin we ordered some fresh chicken spring rolls with lettuce, basil and vermicelli served with a peanut hoisin sauce.   These were so light tasting, and the hoisin sauce was so much better than I have had in ages - I definitely need to learn how to make this, since store bought just isn't this good!

A Trip to Crane Beach with Holly and Arthur (our new dog!)

Two weeks ago we expanded our family to include a new furry friend - Arthur!  We rescued Arthur through Lucky Lab Rescue and he has been a wonderful addition.  He is just over a year old and may be the sweetest boy around.  We decided to rescue a dog because we did not really want a puppy (although they are available through rescues as well) and there are so many wonderful dogs looking for their forever homes that we knew we would find the perfect fit.

Meet Arthur!

This past weekend we made it up to Crane Beach for the last doggie-friendly weekend (the season ends the last day of March).  After last year, we were looking forward to a day with a bit less wind and some warmer temps; luckily Saturday had both.  The beach had a bunch of people walking with their K9 companions - this was a perfect Easter weekend adventure.

Cranberry, Caramelized Onion & Cheese Spread

For me, coming up with a delicious appetizer can be difficult, especially when that is the one thing you are in charge of bringing to a dinner.  There are times when I enjoy the appetizers more than the meal itself!  Digging into his binder of recipes that he collected, Nick pulled out a few appetizers that sounded yummy and would travel well.  Simple enough, right?  My go-to of nice cheeses just was not going to cut it.

Dip!

This was something we had to bring for a meal in the late fall, and we happened to have some cranberries on hand from our CSA in the freezer, so that made the decision for which appetizer to bring a little easier.  To begin, Nick caramelized some onions nice and slowly.  Caramelized onions done the right way always have such a lovely golden color - definitely not something you can rush.