Pittsburgh Christmas 2013

There's really nothing like going to your home at Christmas-time! This trip back to Pittsburgh was the longest and best in years. I'd never been to the famous Pamela's Diner in the Strip District and I have finally marked it off of my list!

These girls and I have known each other since elementary school and we had a great coffee date with a side of breakfast food! Diana, Megan, Mallory and I tried a little bit of everything, strawberry stuffed pancakes, omelets with extra cheese, and Pamela's renowned lyonnaise potatoes.

Primanti's 2012

During my first several years living in Hawaii, it became routine for me to fly into Pittsburgh and head directly to Primanti Brothers for their infamous sandwich. This trip to Da Burgh it took me almost 48 hours to get there! Bryce and I met my cousin Eric for lunch on Monday, the 3rd day of our trip. [Day 1 involved flying and a lot of bad food; Day 2 a deliciously adorable bridal shower.]

Surely you've heard of the "Pittsburgh style" sandwiches on TV before or, if nothing else, earlier on Aloha: Yinz Mangia! It's fresh Italian bread piled high with your choice of protein, cole slaw, french fries, and tomato. It's odd, delicious, and something you can't forget about once you've had one.

There are locations of Primanti's all over Pittsburgh, leaking their way across Pennsylvania, and even a few in Florida! Although not the original, we usually go to the one nearest to my folks' house on route 60.

Super Bowl 2011

Today I'm throwing myself a pity party - the Steelers aren't in the Superbowl BOOOOOO!

I was too busy pouting about our loss last year to post about the awesome party my cousin Darren had, but today - 1 year later - I'm ready to tell you all about it! He's having a party again today but it won't be the same... aka who cares about the game/football, I'll act like all the other women who only care about the commercials.

Last year we had black & gold smiley cookies from Eat'n Park, a Pittsburgh favorite! These were shipped from the Burg thanks to my Mom.

We're Engaged

It's officially official - Bryce and I are engaged! We tried to tell as many people in person as we could before letting it become public knowledge via facebook - the jumbotron of gossip.


Bryce and I celebrated our third anniversary (of dating) back in August. In our three + years together we've had many conversations about getting married, during which I'd mentioned several things (huge hints) that I didn't think were noted so well by my tricky fiance:

• I'd always dreamed of a proposal/engagement somewhere romantic, outdoors, and crowd-free

• Being so far away from my family sucks and if we were going to get engaged, I'd want to tell them in person rather than making a list of people to call

Bryce totally had me believing that we weren't getting engaged until after he finished school (in May) so when he popped the question on a hike on December 9, I was shocked and excited. Okay... maybe I had a feeling something strange was going on that morning, but no sooner than that! We went on a sunrise hike and he proposed at the top, it was incredible, romantic, and perfect - dirty sneakers and all.

There was only one other hiker around and he stopped to take some pictures for us. We had to catch him quickly before he left and I'm clearly still crying in these photos!

Welcoming Home

After 3 days in San Fran, Bryce and I went home (for me) to Pittsburgh. Our flight got in fairly late and Mom had some delicious comfort foods to welcome us home with: "Indy" chicken, which got its name because it is good cold and was our go-to meal for long road trips to Indianapolis, and homemade Italian wedding soup in my favorite Santa mug/bowl! What says welcome home more than homemade food from Mama and Christmas decor? That's right... nothing!

Well... maybe your best friend's adorable and happy baby! Meet Brody. I met him in July when I was home and he was 3 weeks old. He's much more fun now :)

I suppose a trip to a favorite restaurant would be welcoming, too. Enter Piper's Pub, my fav spot in the South Side of Pittsburgh. Here's a red pepper dip that everyone else loved and I didn't even try, damn you peppers!

My Mom's all time favorite menu item there - portobello mushroom stack.

Dad got salmon and didn't eat any of his green beans!

Bryce had a salmon BLT with dill mayo, what a good idea!

I got a totally weird craving for shrimp and got shrimp cocktail with these huge guys and soup. This wasn't the soup I ordered, but they brought me the correct one and I liked the first one best!

Mom's cooking, sweet babies and best friends, and my favorite restaurant with my parents and new fiance - what more of a welcoming could you ask for?

Last Christmas

I have spent every single Christmas morning of my life in this very living room! Since I moved to Hawaii in 2008, I've been insistent and have made it home for Christmas each year.

It has always been just Mom, Dad, and I, and this year we'll have our first ever addition since I joined in in 1986 - Bryce is coming! He came to Pittsburgh with me two years ago around Christmastime but went back to California for the big day. Last year he stayed in Hawaii and I went to Pgh. This year was one of lots of trips, finished off with Thanksgiving in California and now Christmas in Pittsburgh together! We're stopping in San Fran on the way home to visit friends & watch the Steelers play the 49ers, then stopping in Boston on the way back to visit our friends and brand new parents John & Brooke & baby Sam! 

That said, I'm so excited for this trip and all the visiting and eating we'll do! To get me in the mood I've unbuttoned the top button of my pants and pulled together some pictures from Christmas at home last year.

Mom & I made biscotti together! Biscotti is freaking-hard to make and I'll never do it alone, sorry Mom.

Some of the desserts on Christmas Eve at our house - 7 layer cookies (my favorite and Mom's specialty!) among many others.

Kiss cookies, pizelles, and more 7 layers - or were they 8 layers?

Mom was really into the 3-layered displays last year! Here's a little bit of healthy food for ya'. Oops, celery stuffed with cream cheese isn't healthy??

My cousin Eric & I took a trip to Pittsburgh's Strip District where we found this handsome guy!

Spencer and Cooper joined us and weren't phased by the gross-ness of pig's feet.

I'm always so happy to be welcomed home by all of the Italian food in Pittsburgh! Pap would have loved all these olives.

So much pasta! I could live on pasta, but it's Bryce's one and only complaint about my cooking - too much pasta! As I'm typing this now it dawned on me that we currently have pasta leftovers in the fridge and I just ate some for lunch :) Maybe he's got a point.

 

We fly out tonight and I can't wait! I've been promised a sourdough bread bowl tomorrow (in San Fran), tons of homemade food (in Pittsburgh), and a foodie tour (in Boston) and look forward to sharing all of my travelin' food with you.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Pink Bakery Doughnut Holes

Throught my childhood, my Mom would get the best doughnut holes in the world for special occasions where there were many children who needed to be fed.  Birthday slumber parties and early morning volleyball tournaments always meant doughnut holes from the "little pink bakery" a mile or 2 away from our house.  The side of the house-turned-bakery simply reads "fresh donuts."  [Donuts - are they serious with that spelling?!]  They bake during the wee hours of the morning and are only open until they sell out, keeping it simple!  As an adult, I found out that this little pink bakery does indeed have a name, Better-Maid Donut Co.

Earlier this year it was featured in the local Pittsburgh newspaper and I was made aware that doughnut holes were absolutely necessary during my July trip home.

My trip was short - just 5 days - and Saturday was the day of Grandma's big party at my parents' house.  Hotel Anderson was jam packed and I woke up at 8:30 am, smooshed on the love seat.  The first thought to cross my mind was "Is it too late for doughnut holes?!"  I jumped out of bed off of the mini-couch, and found that my Dad was awake, too.  "Dad, can we go get doughnut holes?!"  I don't know why I asked permission, maybe I thought I was still too young to drive and pay for things... Well, he said yes and we took his spiffy new Mustang convertible (that's a totally different story!) for the 3 minute ride.

The good news is that the doughnut shop remained exactly as I remembered it.  The great news is that the OPEN sign was shining brightly! 

The inside smelled delicious! There were, of course, plain doughnuts. Thank you, plain doughnuts, for providing my doughnut holes for all these years! (Sorry I've never tried you, just reaped the fruits of your labor.)

There were so many other delightful sweets there!  They looked so delicious, but we came for one thing and one thing only.

 

Then we saw the glorious doughnut holes, clumped together on the cooling rack with their dripping icing stuck in time surrounding. 

That was the last photo that was taken.  Our whole family, myself included, attacked the box of doughnut holes!  We all enjoyed them with coffee on that Saturday morning and managed to snack on them throughout the next 2 days. 

Surely, this bakery will still be the same, steadfast, doughnut making wonder that it always has been the next time I travel home.  I'll stop by to make sure though :)

They say to live with no regrets... but if I had the chance to go back in time I'd celebrate the 18 birthdays of my life that I spent in Pittsburgh with candles in these doughnut holes, instead of cake!

Pittsburgh's Trader Joe's, N'at

After consuming 16 boxes of Trader Joe's Australian Strawberry Licorice that I had shipped to me by mail from various relatives living near a TJ's store, I finally made it to a Trader Joe's Store for the very first time!  My Mom thought I was insane (more than usual) when I added a grocery store to the list of things to do during my short visit home to Pittsburgh.  She, My Sandy, and I braved the nasty Pittsburgh heat and humidity and went to Trader Joe's!

They even painted this cute welcome sign, just for us!

I, too, questioned my sanity - wondering if I'd be experiencing a typical, cookie-cutter, chain store after all the building anticipation.  Trader Joe is a clever one and the store SCREAMED Pittsburgh!  I was in Burgh, and food, bliss.  

Steelers emblem in the wall, 6 Lombardi trophy's above, Steelers clock... awesome!  Also, I'm sure there's no other TJ's in the world with 6 Lombardi's!  Had to throw it in there :)  WOO HOO football is back on!

Much of the decor in the front of the store is beachy-fun and there are several parrots.  This particular parrot is a Pittsburgh Pirates fan and his little ball cap made me laugh out loud!  Does that make him a Pirate Parrot, too?

2 of 3 Burgh sports teams - covered.  Next up, bridges!  They're everywhere around tahn and around TJ's!

They're even labeled!  Here's the 16th Street bridge, how cute?

The Fort Pitt bridge.  This bridge is my favorite - if I'm on it that means I'm either on my way to the cabin or to Penn State!



The 9th Street Bridge.  This one is next to PNC Park and actually got a great photo of the real bridge at a Pirate's Game.  Want to see?

I thought you did :)  Here's the 9th Street Bridge at night.  Pittsburgh is so charming!

The unique Smithfield Street bridge is in the produce section!  Speaking of unique - do you see all those tomatoes there on the bottom shelf?

That's where I found these Brown Tomatoes!  Have you ever seen or heard of them, or made anything with them?  I didn't have time to experiment in the kitchen while I was home and passed on the opportunity to have my very own Brown Tomatoes.

This baked goods sign, made to mimic the point where the 3 river meet downtown, is so fabulous!  I'd buy one for myself if it were an option!  The pie fountain is the best part.

I bought one of the skinny baguette loaves from the side and made strawberry, feta cheese & mint bruschetta with it!  I took a picture, but... it's better left up to your imagination :)  It was delicious, although not pretty.

We got some chocolate covered blueberries, green figs, and these dried green beans.  They were just ok, I wouldn't buy them again.

This garlic naan bread was so good!  I topped it with hummus or cheese and put it in the toaster oven for a minute, YUM!

Trader Joe's was even better than I expected, overall!  The prices were very reasonable, too.  I was sad that I barely got to eat any of the food I bought from TJs and wish Hawaii could get our very own store!  

Family Dinner at Sarafinos

My visit home to Pittsburgh has now flashed before my eyes.  Don't you worry, I have 700 photos and 8 new pounds to remember it by.  The first meal of the trip was a family dinner at Sarafino's to celebrate the birthdays of 2 of my cousins: 7 year old Spencer and 39 year old Eric.  Sarafino's is an adorable little Italian restaurant that is home to delicious food and allows visitors to BYOB.  Pittsburgh is filled with great Italian restaurants and Sarafino's is one of my favorites, especially because I used to sneak glasses of wine there before I was 21!

Our reservation was for 19 people and we took up half of the dining room!  Our family completely overtook the restaurant and it was absolutely wonderful to be around each other, all talking at once and eating together.  We enjoyed everything you'd expect at such a restaurant:

Bruschetta with goat cheese - very yummy!

Standard bruschetta.  Both types were delicious, despite being served on incredibly rock-hard toast.

Pizza.  This was a small pepperoni, clearly!

Here, the kids eyeing up their half-olive pizza!  Left to right are Cooper (5), Spencer (7 and one of the birthday boys), Morgan (9), and Mackenzie (7).  The only missing child is Marissa, my Goddaughter, who was clung to me all night!  She was probably right next to me as I took this photo.  (Don't let me convince you that I didn't love every second of the attention from her!)



Pasta, of course!  This one is chicken diabolo, I believe.  It was literally the hottest day of the year and the poor souls who ate this dish were even warmer than the rest of us sweaty monsters.

Here's my pasta dish - ravioli with spinach and sun dried tomatoes in pesto sauce.  It was awesome!  I'll add pesto to my list of things to make :)

Another pasta dish with chicken and a large pile of parmesan cheese.

Sandwiches - this is "Duck's Italian" which includes cappocollo, salami, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and roasted red peppers.  It's drizzled with Sarafino's dressing, topped with provolone cheese, and served with pasta salad.  Very colorful!

We brought our own birthday cake, which happened to be a cupcake cake in the shape of a fish!  Birthday boys Spencer and Eric (wearing a lei that I brought him from Hawaii) seemed thrilled to blow out the pretend candles.

I was so busy chatting that I never got a cupcake, but everyone else loved them.  Especially Kenzie, who clearly ate a blue one!

We braved the heat outside for a few quick pictures.  Here are 4 out of 5 cousins of the former kid's table: Amy, Eric, Me, and Dana.

Here I am with the 5 current kids table cousins: Spencer, Cooper, Morgan, Rissa, and Kenzie.

It was a great night and a perfect way to begin my vacation - eating Italian food with my Italian family.  Mangia, mangia!